THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


MUSIC 
LIBRARY 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

in  2007  witii  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


littp://www.archive.org/details/choirtrainersartOOricliiala 


THE 

CHOIRTRAINER'S 
ART 


BY 

A.  MADELEY  RICHARDSON 

M.A.,  Mus.  Doc.,  OxoN.,  F.R.C.O. 

(late  organ  scholar  and  theological  prizeuan  of  keble  college, 

oxpord;  for  twelve  years  organist  and  director  of  the 

choir  of  southwark  cathedral;    late  member  of  the 

COXTNCIL  of  the  royal  COLLEGE  OP  ORGANISTS;  AUTHOR  OF 

"  CHURCH    music  "    FOR    THE    CLERGY;    "  THE    PSALMS, 

THEIR      STRUCTURE    AND     MUSICAL     RENDERING;" 

THE    SOUTHWARK  PSALTER;    "MODERN 

ORGAN       ACCOMPANIMENT;"      ETC.) 


G.  SCHIRMKR 

NEW  YORK:   3  Kast  430  St.         LONDON,  \V.:    18,  Bkrners  St. 
BOSTON:   THK   BOSTON   MUSIC   CO. 


Copyright,  igi4,  by  G.  Scbikmse 
24805 


Music 
Library 

Mr 


To 
0tr  (&trxx^  iHartttt 

M.V.O.,  Mus.  Doc,  Organist  op 
St.  Paul's  Cathedral 


713S28 


CONTENTS 

PART    I 

CONSTITUTION  AND   MANAGEMENT   OF   A   CHOIR 

CHAPTER   I 

JNTRODUCTORY 


PAGE 


Choirs  of  many  kinds  —  Importance  of  work  —  The  handmaid  of 
religion  —  The  power  of  music  —  The  Church's  need  —  Influence  of 
education  —  Divisions  of  the  subject 3 


CHAPTER    II 

THE  CHOIRMASTER 

Personality  of  the  choirmaster  —  The  ideal  —  His  qualities  —  And 
knowledge  —  The  choirmaster's  reward 5 

CHAPTER    III 

THE   MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  BOYS 

Two  ways  of  managing  boys  —  The  method  of  force  —  The 
method  of  persuasion  —  Justice  —  Politeness — Trust  —  Cooperation  — 
The  constitutional   Monarchy  —  Results  of  responsibility  —  Monitors 

—  Rules —  Punishments  —  Fines  —  Impositions  —  A  warning —  Par- 
ents —  Payment  — Various  systems  —  The  Southwark  custom  —  Re- 
served payment 6 

CHAPTER    IV 

MANAGEMENT  OF   THE   BOYS     (Continued) 

Application  —  Promotion  —  Forms  of  agreement  —  Balance  of 
voices  —  Decani  and  Cantoris  —  The  smallest  choir  —  Increased  in 
size  —  Exceptional  cases  —  Age  for  commencing  to  sing  —  '  Breaking' 

—  Finishing — Nature's  signal  — Balance  of  ages  —  Arrangement  of 
places  —  For  seniors —  For  probationers  — Soloists  —  Trebles  —  Ten- 
ors and  Altos 15 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   V 
THE   MANAGEMENT   OF   THE   MEN 

PAGE 

Tact  —  Considerateness  —  Consistency  —  Forms  of  application  — 
Cooperation  —  Business  meetings  —  Social  meetings  —  Religious  as- 
pect —  Corporate  Communions  —  Southwark  Cathedral  —  Soloists  — 
Payment  —  Agreements 25 

CHAPTER  VI 
WOMEN   SINGERS 

Management  —  Practices  —  Numbers  —  Voice-production        .      .        31 

CHAPTER   VII 

THE   PRACTICE   ROOM 

A  special  room  —  A  makeshift —  Essentials  ^ — Arrangement  — Mu- 
sic-stands —  The  pianoforte  —  Other  furnishings 32 

CHAPTER    VIII 
PRACTICES  AND  REHEARSALS 

Regular  work  —  Number  of  practices  —  Different  plans  —  Boy's 

—  Men's  — '  Full '  —  Economy  of  time  —  Order  — Standing,  sitting, 
kneeling 33 

CHAPTER    IX 

ENGLISH   AND  AMERICAN   BOYS 

Distinguishing  traits  —  Warnings  to  the  author  —  His  arrival  in 
America  —  Newport  experiences — Raw  material  —  Cassandra's  fore- 
cast —  A  conversation  —  The  end  of  it  —  American  and  English  boys 

—  Some  anecdotes  —  Smartness  of  Newport  boys 35 


PART    II 

VOICE-PRODUCTION 

CHAPTER   I 

METHODS  OF  PRODUCTION 

Contradictory  opinions  —  Search  for  truth  —  Its  discovery  —  An 
empirical    method  —  The    *  natural '    voice  —  Its    production  —  The 


CONTENTS  vii 


PAGE 


teacher    taught  —  Example    and    precept  —  Gradual    growth  —  All 
voices  useful  —  Results  sought  for  —  The  perfect  voice       ....        43 

CHAPTER   II 
TONE    (I) 

Importance  of  breathing  —  Directions  —  Methods  —  The  Italian 

—  Attack —  Its  importance —  Explained  —  Control  of  breath —  Faulty 

tone  —  Its  cause  —  An  analogy 46 

CHAPTER    III 

TONE   (H) 

Resonance  —  Explained  —  Two  kinds  —  Registers  —  Scientific 
names — 'Solid*  and  'liquid'  resonance  —  'Placing*  the  voice  — 
'  Chest  *  resonance  —  '  Middle '  resonance  —  *  Head  '  notes  —  Balance 

—  Attack  and  balance —  Automatic  tension  —  True  and  false  balance 

—  Diagrams  —  Personal  experience  —  And  knowledge      ....        50 

CHAPTER    IV 

PRACTICAL  DIRECTIONS 

Position  of  the  body  —  The  tongue  —  An  exercise  —  The  lips  — 
The  jaws  —  Compass  of  boys'  voices  —  Treatment  of  registers  — 
The  starting-point  —  Middle  voice  —  Head  —  Chest 55 

CHAPTER    V 

VOWEL  QUALITY 

'Colour*  of  tone — Definition  of  vowel — Thirteen  varieties — The 
normal  vowel  —  Modifications  —  Lip  vowels —  Tongue  vowels  — 
Long  —  And  short  —  Compound  —  Directions  —  Ah  —  Aw  —  O  — 
00  —  Ah  —  Er  —  A — E  —  The  compounds  —  The  vocal  'r*  — 
Its  treatment 56 

CHAPTER    VI 

THE   CONSONANTS 

Definitions  —  And  analysis  —  Explosives  —  Buzzes  and  hisses  — 
Semi-vocals  —  Nasal  —  Oral  —  The  aspirate  —  Order  of  study  —  Im- 
portance—  Correct  pronunciation  —  Enunciation  and  diction —  Methods 
of  practice — Combinations 62 


viii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   VII 
FIRST   STEPS   FOR   BOYS 


PAGE 


Pure  tone  —  Exercise  of  muscles  —  Habits  —  Two  laws  of  logic 

—  Cause  and  effect  —  The  seed  and  the  fruit  —  Method  of  teaching 

—  The  game  of  voice-using 66 


CHAPTER    VIII 

FIRST   STEPS  FOR  BOYS     (Continued) 

Breathing-exercises  —  Exercises  for  attack  —  For  resonance  —  Use 
of  cork  —  The  humming  exercise 69 

CHAPTER   IX 

AGILITY   EXERCISES— SCALES 

Technical  figures  —  The  downward  scale  —  The  ascending  scale 
— The  nine-note  scale  —  The  fifteen-note  scale  —  A  variation — The 
slow  shake  —  The  quick  shake  —  Further  steps 75 

CHAPTER    X 

AGILITY  EXERCISES  — ARPEGGIOS 

Moving  by  leap  —  Directions  and  exercises  —  A  competition  — 
Double  scales  —  Triple  scales — Use  of  various  vowels  —  General  di- 
rections      79 


CHAPTER    XI 
USE   OF  THE   BLACKBOARD 

Sight-reading — In  two  parts  —  And  three  —  Silent  directions      .        83 

CHAPTER    XII 

VOWELS  AND   CONSONANTS  COMBINED 

Use  of  hymns  —  Details  of  rendering  —  Variety  of  ways  —  *  O 
God,  our  help' — Analysis  —  *  Holy,  holy,  holy '  — Analysis  —  *  When 
wounded  sore'  —  Analysis — Gradual  advance 84 


CONTENTS  ix 

CHAPTER   XIII 
THE  TRAINING   OF  ALTOS 

PAGE 

Desire  for  information  —  The  writer's  experience  at  Newport  — 
The  material  —  Plans  of  work  —  Line  upon  line  —  Progress  —  Here 
a  little,  and  there  a  little  —  Exercises  —  Difficulties  —  Discouragement 
—  Triumph  —  Final  results 91 


PART   III 

THE   RENDERING   OF   CHURCH   MUSIC 

CHAPTER   I 

THE  VALUE  OF  WORDS 

Evolution  and  origins  —  What  words  are  —  Beauty  of  sound  — 
Lord  Chesterfield's  saying  —  Rhythm  —  Regular —  Irregular  —  Eng- 
lish losses  —  The  golden  age  —  Formal  designs  —  Latin  metres  — 
Their  meaning  for  us  —  Accent  —  Stress  —  Quantity  —  An  illustra- 
tion—  Importance  of  first  steps  —  A  guiding  principle 97 


CHAPTER    II 

WORDS  AND  MUSIC 

Ancient  poetic  inflexions  —  A  loss — The  ritual  music  of  the  Church 
—  Free  rhythm  —  Explanation  of  the  Benedictines  of  Stanbrook  — 
Merbecke's  directions  —  The  ecclesiastical  chant  —  The  pure  choral 
style  —  Introduction  and  tyranny  of  the  bar — Return  to  true  founda- 
tions  102 


CHAPTER   III 

THE  FIXED  PLAIN-SONG  OF  THE   SERVICE  —  MONOTONES 

Recent  advances —  In  England  —  In  America  —  The  fixed  plain- 
song —  Monotones  —  The  General  Confession  —  Analyzed  —  Points 
to  observe — Importance  of  foundations —  Maintenance  of  pitch — A 
strong  warning  —  The  best  advice — Pace — Volume — The  Lord's 
Prayer  —  And  the  Creed 106 


X  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER    IV 

THE  FIXED  PLAIN-SONG     (Continued) 

The  Versicles  and  Responses,  and  Litany 

Widespread  misunderstanding —  *  Ferial '  —  *  Festal '  —  True  ren- 
dering — Distortions  —  Their  result —  Unison  or  harmony  ? — Analysis 
in  detail  —  The  Gloria  Patri  —  An  important  suggestion  —  Prevailing 
mistakes  —  Tallis  —  A  comparison  —  The  composer's  intention  — 
The  congregational  part  —  The  Litany  —  Weak  places  —  A  printer's 
error 114 

CHAPTER    V 

PSALM  CHANTING 

Importance  of  the  true  art  —  Definition  of  the  Chant  —  The  best 
known  chant  —  The  prevalent  faults  vs.  the  true  old  method  —  An  un- 
fortunate distinction^ —  An  unnecessary  evil —  A  pre-Reformation  verse 

—  A  verse  from  Merbecke  —  A  verse  from  Tallis  —  Introduction  of 
harmony  —  New  conditions  —  A  serious  loss  —  *  Pointing  '  —  Rules 
for  chanting  —  Illustrated  —  The  recitation  —  Final  words  —  The  cor- 
rect way  to  view  the  matter 124 

CHAPTER    VI 

PSALM  CHANTING     (Continued) 

Middle  words  —  The  one  condition  —  Verses  from  Merbecke  — 
Verses  from  Tallis — Bars,  their  use  and  abuse  —  An  important  rule 

—  Illustrations  —  Dots  —  Fully  considered  —  The  mark  of  division  — 
The  Rev.  W.  H.  Frere's  opinion — Antiphonal  singing  —  Various 
ways  —  Structure  of  verses  —  A  word  of  warning  —  Unison  chanting 

—  A  word  of  encouragement —  The  easiest  way  —  Its  results —  'The 
Psalms  in  Human  Life'  —  The  real  difficulty  —  Futile  efforts  —  Hope 

for  the  future 132 

CHAPTER    VII 

MERBECKE'S   COMMUNION    SERVICE 

Two  notable  Services  —  What  they  are — Importance  of  Merbecke' s 
work  —  Misconceptions  as  to  its  rendering  —  Anachronisms  —  The 
author's  intentions  —  Free  rhythm  and  tonality  —  Use  of  the  square 
notes  —  A  comparison — A  presumption,  and  a  certainty  —  Work  of 
the  modern  adapter  —  A  new  edition  —  The  movements  —  The  Kyrie 

—  A  suggestion  — The  creed  —  A  detailed  interpretation  —  The  Sanc- 
tus  —  A  remarkable  distortion  —  The  Agnus  Dei  —  The   Paternoster 

—  An  unfortunate  mistake  —  The  Gloria  in  Excelsis  —  The  Offertory 
Sentences  and  Post-Communions — Their  revival 141 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER   VIII 
FURTHER   DIRECTIONS 

PAGE 

Length  of  practice  —  Order,  method  and  precision  —  Plan  of  prac- 
tice —  Time-beating  —  Sight-reading  —  Learning  new  music  —  Leads 

—  And  endings  —  Important  method  —  Pauses  —  Their  treatment     .      153 

CHAPTER    IX 

ACCURACY  AND  EXPRESSION 

Crescendo  and  diminuendo  —  Directions  —  Illustrations  —  Rallen- 
tando  and  accelerando — Illustrations  —  Expression — An  elusive  sub- 
ject —  The  true  artist  —  Thoughts  from  Ruskin  —  Analogies  —  A 
guide — The  Lamp  of  Life 159 

CHAPTER    X 
HYMNS 

The  choirmaster's  great  opportunity  —  Place  of  the  modern  hymn 

—  Classification  of  tunes  —  Plain-song  tunes  —  Their  interpretation  — 
*Sing,  my  tongue' — Analysis — The  Old  Hundredth — Rendering — 
Pauses  —  Phrasing  —  Breath-taking  —  Rules  and  illustrations  — '  How 
sweet  the  name  '  —  Choice  of  pace  —  A  barbarism  —  General  direc- 
tions—  Important  illustrations —  *  Lead,  kindly  Light '  —  Its  style  — 
Congregational  singing  —  Suggestions  for  its  improvement  —  Hymn 
singing  a  reality  —  Three  important  points  —  *  Playing  over  '  —  An 
excrescence  —  Another  mistake  —  ♦  Amens  '  —  Their  insertion  —  . 
Their  removal  —  Reasons —  Opinion  of  the  Dean  of  Christ  Church  — 
A  strange  custom  —  •  Processionals  '  and  *  recessionals '  —  The  hymn 

a  work  of  art  —  Correcting  the  abuse 162 

CHAPTER    XI 

ANTHEMS   AND   SERVICES 

Nearing  the  end  —  Classification  —  A  summing  up  —  Importance 
of  the  pure  choral  style — Sir  Hubert  Parry's  words  —  The  mystery 
of  gliding  harmonies  —  A  few  hints  —  Illustrations  —  Directions  — 
Palestrina  —  Tallis —  Goss  —  Wesley  —  Martin —  Mozart  —  Haydn 

—  Mendelssohn  —  Dvorak  —  Gounod  —  Conclusion  —  The  present 

and  the  fiiturc 172 


Exercises  as  given  in  Part  II 191 


PART    I 

CONSTITUTION   AND   MANAGEMENT 
OF  A  CHOIR 


PART    I 


CONSTITUTION  AND   MANAGEMENT   OF   A   CHOIR 


Chapter  I :   Introductory 

Chapter  II :   The  Choirmaster 

Chapter  III :   The  Management  of  the  Boys 

Chapter  IV:    Management  of  the  Boys  (cent.) 

Chapter  V  :  The  Management  of  the  Men 

Chapter  VI :   Women  Singers 

Chapter  VII :   The  Practice  Room 

Chapter  VIII :    Practices  and  Rehearsals  . 

Chapter  IX :   English  and  American  Boys 


3 
5 
6 

15 

25 

31 

32 
33 
35 


THE  CHOIRTRAINER'S  ART 


CHAPTER    I 

INTRODUCTORY 

Choirs  are  of  many  kinds,  from  the  Cathedral  Choir  at 
one  end  of  the  scale  to  the  humblest  village  choir  at  the 
other.  In  dealing  with  choirs  of  varying  capacity  the  choir- 
master's work  and  methods  will  vary  greatly  as  to  detail, 
but  the  general  principles  upon  which  they  are  grounded, 
and  his  attitude  and  feelings  towards  choir  singers,  will  re- 
main the  same,  only  expressing  themselves  in  different  forms 
and  by  different  channels. 

In  the  following  pages  an  attempt  will  be  made  to  assist 
all  choirmasters,  whether  they  be  the  humble  directors  of 
village  choirs  or  whether  they  be  the  dignified  choragi  and 
precentors  of  Cathedral  foundations. 

The  importance  of  choir  work  at  the  present  time  can 
hardly  be  overestimated.  As  I  have  said  on  a  former  oc- 
casion, the  standard  of  Church  music  is  steadily  going  up. 
The  desire  is  felt,  and  is  being  expressed  In  all  directions, 
that  the  important  side  of  religious  life  represented  by  choir 
singers  should  receive  due  and  proper  attention. 

The  efficiency  of  the  Church,  and  the  strength  of  the 
cause  of  religion  itself,  depend  ultimately  upon  the  way  in 
which  each  separate  department  is  conducted.  Of  all  these 
departments,  that  of  music,  the  Handmaid  of  Religion,  is 
certainly  not  the  least  important. 

The  compelling  power  of  music,  and  especially  of  vocal 
music,  has  been  recognized  from  the  beginning  of  the  world. 
The  poet  declares : 

Silvestres  homines  sacer  interpresque  deorum 
Caedibus  et  victu  foedo  dcterruit  Orpheus. 
Dictus  ob  hoc  lenire  tigres  rabidoscjue  leones; 

3 


The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 


Dictus  et  Amphion,  Thebanae  conditor  urbis, 
Saxa  movere  sono  testudinis  et  prece  blanda 
Ducere,  quo  vellet.* 

When  at  its  best,  music  is  a  persuasive  force  stronger 
than  rhetoric,  a  force  which  can  be  appealed  to  where  all 
others  fail.  Remembering  this,  it  is  seen  how  great  im- 
portance is  rightly  attached  to  Church  music — an  impor- 
tance that  has  been  emphasized  by  the  leaders  of  religious 
thought  in  all  ages. 

With  the  rapid  spread  and  growth  of  musical  education 
in  all  directions  and  in  all  classes  of  society  at  the  present 
day,  it  is  clear  that  the  Church  must  not,  and  cannot,  re- 
main unaffected.  It  must  strive  to  keep  in  line  with  the 
advance  of  education.  It  must  even  go  further,  and  try  to 
lead  public  taste  and  to  guide  it  into  the  best  channels. 

With  the  general  questions  of  musical  education  and  ar- 
tistic teaching  it  is  not  within  the  scope  of  the  present  vol- 
ume to  deal.  But  the  art  of  choir-training  cannot  be  unaf- 
fected by  them,  and  the  best  choirmaster  will  be  the  one  who 
rightly  balances  his  ideas  and  work  with  things  around  and 
outside  him,  and  who  values  at  its  correct  standard  the  im- 
portance of  his  work  not  merely  as  an  end  in  itself,  but  also 
as  a  part  of,  and  link  in,  a  wider  and  greater  whole. 

The  study  of  choir-training  comprises  three  branches 
of  knowledge,  dealing  respectively  with  the  general  scope 
and  management  of  choirs ;  the  training  and  production  of 
the  voice,  and  its  musical  instruction ;  and  the  rendering  of 
Church  music  in  a  true,  correct  and  artistic  manner.  Equal 
attention  should  be  given  to  each  of  these  three  branches 
in  the  order  in  which  I  have  placed  them.  None  is  suffi- 
cient without  the  others ;  the  three  welded  together  will 
give  a  complete  and  finished  whole. 

*  Horace,  *  De  Arte  Poetica ' :  "  Orpheus,  the  priest  and  interpreter  of 
the  gods,  made  uncivilized  men  abstain  from  bloodshed  and  savage  diet  ;  so 
that  be  was  reputed,  on  this  account,  to  have  tamed  tigers  and  raging  lions. 
Amphion  also,  the  builder  of  the  Theban  citadel,  was  said  to  move  stones  by 
the  sound  of  his  lyre,  and  by  soothing  allurements  to  lead  them  wherever  he 
wished."    (Bagot's  translation.) 


CHAPTER   II 
THE  CHOIRMASTER 

Before  discussing  the  management  of  a  choir  it  will  be 
advisable  to  consider  the  personality  of  the  choirmaster  him- 
self. The  choir  depends  upon  the  choirmaster.  As  is  his 
personality,  so  will  be  that  of  the  choir.  The  choir  is  the 
instrument  upon  which  he  plays,  the  living  medium  through 
which  he  expresses  his  musical  thoughts.  If  we  can  find  a 
perfect  choirmaster,  then  we  shall  have  a  perfect  choir. 

I  shall  not,  I  hope,  be  considered  too  much  of  an  idealist 
if  I  mention  some  qualities  that  the  choirmaster  should  pos- 
sess. We  cannot  get  the  ideal  in  this  world,  but  that  is  no 
reason  why  we  should  not  think  of  it  and  wish  for  it  and 
try  for  it.     The  higher  we  aim,  the  higher  we  shall  attain. 

The  choirmaster  should  possess  an  enthusiastic  love  for 
his  art,  a  full  and  firm  conviction  of  its  great  importance, 
and  implicit  and  steadfast  faith  in  its  object  and  mission. 

He  should  have  infinite  patience,  perseverance,  tact  and 
firmness;  a  kindly  and  attractive  manner;  courage  to  face 
difficulties,  or  even  temporary  failure. 

The  choirmaster  will  best  do  his  work  if  he  understands 
something  of  literature  and  poetry,  and  has  learnt  to  value 
words  for  their  own  sake ;  to  appreciate  the  subtle  differ- 
ences in  sound  and  sense  so  dear  to  the  scholar ;  to  regard 
them  as  things  of  beauty,  value  and  interest  in  themselves. 

A  knowledge  of  voice-production  is  essential  to  the 
successful  choirmaster.  He  need  not  be  a  solo  singer,  but 
he  ought  to  know  what  it  is  that  makes  a  successful  soloist, 
and  to  be  able  to  produce  perfectly  correct  tone  with  his 
own  voice. 

A  knowledge  of  the  underlying  principles  which  guide 
the  singer  in  the  rendering  of  vocal  music  is  further  essen- 
tial, and  of  what  the  voice  is  capable  as  a  declamatory 
medium. 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


The  choirmaster  should  be  a  disciplinarian  and  an  organ- 
izer ;  then  I  think  he  will  be  all  that  can  be  desired. 

There  are  some  good  choirmasters,  and  there  are  doubt- 
less many  more  who  would  become  good  ones  if  they  knew 
how,  and  if  they  determined  to  develop  themselves.  Some 
are  without  doubt  deterred  by  the  consideration  that  there 
is  little  reward  for  the  choirmaster  in  a  worldly  sense. 
This  is  certainly  true  ;  but  the  reward  lies  in  the  work  itself, 
and  looked  at  in  this  way  it  is  by  no  means  small.  There 
can  be  no  more  beautiful  art  work  than  the  singing  of  a 
good  choir,  and  the  joy  and  rest  and  peace  that  it  can  bring 
to  many  a  weary  heart  are,  to  those  who  look  below  the 
surface  of  things,  of  more  value  than  fame  and  riches  and 
praise. 


CHAPTER    III 

THE   MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  BOYS 

In  the  management  of  a  male  voice  choir  there  are  two 
elements  to  be  considered,  the  boys  and  the  men.  The 
management  of  the  first  is  of  the  most  importance  to  the 
majority  of  choirmasters,  as  being  the  most  difficult  in 
which  to  attain  success. 

There  are  two  ways  of  managing  boys,  by  force  and  by 
persuasion — by  driving  and  by  leading.  It  is  quite  pos- 
sible to  get  good  musical  results  with  the  former,  but  the 
cost  is  too  great  —  the  cost  of  making  boys  dislike  the 
work,  and  perhaps  in  consequence  ultimately  dislike  the 
Church  and  all  that  it  stands  for.  It  is  hoped  that  no 
reader  of  these  pages  will  adopt  the  method  of  force.  A 
word  of  warning  is  by  no  means  superfluous,  as  it  is  a 
method  that  has  been,  and  is,  used  in  many  directions. 
Mr.  J.  Spencer  Curwen,  in  his  book  on  *  The  Boy's 
Voice,'  tells  a  story  of  a  Cathedral  organist  who  said  quite 
seriously,  "  I  cannot  tell  you  why  that  boy  does  not  sing 
in  tune ;  I  have  boxed  his  ears." 


The  Management  of  the  Boys  7 

Boys  will  sing  well  if  they  want  to,  provided  always 
that  they  know  how ;  and  the  best  results  will  surely  be 
obtained  when  the  work  is  done  from  love  and  not  from 
fear  of  the  consequences  of  failure.  But,  having  said  this, 
it  must  not  be  supposed  that  there  should  be  any  lack  of 
firmness.  Strict  discipline  is  of  the  greatest  importance, 
and  must  always  be  maintained.  What  has  been  said 
refers  to  the  way  in  which  it  is  to  be  secured,  the  founda- 
tion upon  which  it  is  to  be  based.  A  good  motto  for  the 
management  of  boys,  as  of  other  people,  is :  "  suaviter  in 
modo,  fortiter  in  re."  The  manner  should  always  be  kind, 
gentle,  persuasive :  the  matter  should  be  firm,  decided  and 
unflinching  for  what  is  right. 

No  persons  have  a  stronger  sense  of  justice  than  boys. 
Let  the  choirmaster  treat  all  alike,  with  absolute  imparti- 
ality, and  be  prepared  to  give  a  fair  reason  for  all  that  he 
does;  so  will  he  gain  the  boys'  respect  and  trust.  He 
should  never  go  back  upon  his  word,  but  make  it  clear 
that  he  can  always  be  relied  upon  to  carry  out  what  he 
promises. 

Politeness  and  a  considerate  manner  are  important  in 
the  management  of  choristers,  and  will  always  be  greatly 
valued.  Neglect  of  this  point  often  causes  failure  in  choir 
discipline.  Boys  watch  and  imitate  the  bearing  of  the 
choirmaster  far  more  than  is  sometimes  supposed,  and  if  he 
takes  care  to  treat  them  invariably  as  responsible  beings, 
entitled  to  respect,  he  will  reap  an  ample  reward. 

An  important  principle  may  help  to  guide  the  choir- 
master, viz.,  that  in  general  people  tend  to  do  and  feel  and 
be  what  they  know  is  expected  of  them.  Therefore,  let 
the  choirmaster  show  the  boys  that  he  always  trusts  them. 
This  applies  to  such  matters  as  telling  the  truth.  I  have 
often  told  boys  that  it  is  better  to  undergo  any  punishment 
than  to  do  so  mean  and  unmanly  a  thing  as  to  tell  a  lie; 
and  that  he  who  does  this  loses  far  more  in  self-respect 
than  the  one  who  is  justly  punished.  I  have  told  them 
that  I  always  believe  their  word,  that  I  would  not  wrong 
them  by  doubting  it,  that  I  would  rather  run  the  risk  of 


8  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

being  deceived  than  believe  that  they  were  capable  of  trying 
to  deceive  me ;  but  that,  once  deceived,  I  could  never  trust 
them  again. 

In  the  details  of  the  management  of  a  choir  it  is  a  great 
help  not  only  to  have  the  hearty  agreement  and  coopera- 
tion of  the  boys,  but  even  to  go  further  and,  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, let  them  assist  in  the  management.  1  do  not  mean 
that  the  choirmaster  is  to  hand  over  his  rights  to  the  boys, 
but  that  he  may  with  advantage  place  trust  in  them  when 
he  sees  that  they  are  worthy  of  it,  and  show  himself  wiUing 
to  take  their  advice  whenever  they  are  capable  of  offering  it. 

The  government  of  the  choir  should  be  a  Constitutional 
Monarchy.  This  plan  has  been  tried  by  the  present  writer 
with  success.  It  has  acted  somewhat  as  follows  :  He  has 
laid  down  the  general  lines  as  to  the  conduct  of  the  choir, 
and  as  to  what  his  aims  and  ideals  were  ;  he  has  then  of- 
fered to  receive  counsel  and  suggestions  from  the  senior 
boys.  When  the  suggestions  have  been  wise  and  right  he 
has  adopted  them,  when  they  have  been  unsuitable  he  has 
explained  the  reasons  for  not  adopting  them.  Any  choir- 
master trying  this  plan  will  probably  be  surprised  to  find 
what  good  ideas  many  boys  have  as  to  discipline  and  organ- 
ization. The  sense  of  responsibility  brings  out  all  that 
is  best  in  them  in  this  direction  ;  and,  when  they  feel  that 
they  have  some  voice  in  the  management  of  the  choir,  their 
attitude  towards  it  becomes  totally  different  from  what  is 
sometimes  found.  They  take  a  pride  in  all  that  it  does, 
they  look  upon  it  as  their  own,  they  learn  to  love  their 
work  for  its  own  sake,  it  becomes  one  of  the  objects  of 
their  lives,  they  do  it  to  the  best  of  their  ability  ;  and  when 
the  time  comes  for  them  to  relinquish  it,  they  do  so  with 
regret,  and  think  of  it  afterwards  with  affectionate  remem- 
brance. 

Responsibility  in  the  control  of  the  choir  may  be  shared 
by  the  choirmaster  among  the  senior  boys.  There  are  va- 
rious plans  upon  which  this  may  be  arranged ;  the  idea 
being  that,  according  to  the  age  and  importance  of  a  boy, 
so    his  responsibility  increases.      The  details  will   depend 


The  Management  of  the  Boys  9 

upon  the  size  and  character  of  the  choir.  As  a  practical 
illustration  it  may  be  helpful  here  to  give  some  rules  drawn 
up  by  the  present  writer  with  the  help  and  advice  of  a 
committee  of  senior  boys  at  Southwark  Cathedral.  There 
there  were  some  fifty  boys  to  be  controlled  ;  in  places  where 
there  is  a  smaller  number,  and  perhaps  less  high-spirited 
individuals,  a  less  elaborate  plan  would  suffice. 

0flutl)tuark  Olallj^hral 


MONITORS 

The  boys  occupying  the  Head  Places  in  the  Choir  are 
eligible  for  election  as  Monitors. 

Boys  occupying  the  end  seats  are  eligible  for  election 
as  Assistant  Monitors. 

When  a  new  boy  is  appointed  to  one  of  the  end  places, 
he  may  be  elected  as  monitor  or  assistant  monitor  by  the 
other  members. 

The  duty  of  the  Monitors  is  to  maintain  the  behaviour 
of  the  Choir  in  a  high  state  of  efficiency. 

The  duties  of  the  Assistant  Monitors  are  to  assist  and 
report  to  the  Monitors. 

RULES   OF   THE    CHOIR 

I.    All  boys  must  kneel  up  straight  in  the  service.      No 
deviation  from  this  is  permitted. 
II.    Each  boy  must  sing  every  note  of  his  part  through- 
out the  service. 

III.  No  boy  may  stare  down  the  church  during  the  service, 

or  at  the  communicants. 

IV.  When  changing  the  attitude  (kneeling,  standing,  sit- 

ting), all  boys  must  move  at  the  same  time. 
V.    No  boy  (monitors  and  the  book  boys  excepted)  shall 
take  off  his  cassock  and  surplice  until  ordered  to 
do  so  by  the  person  in  charge. 
VI.    No  boy  may  talk,  unless  he  is  spoken  to  by  the  per- 
S9n  in  charge,  while  he  is  in  church. 


lo  The  Choirtrainers  Art 

In  this  imperfect  world  there  will  always  be  black  sheep 
in  every  flock,  and  so  the  writer  here  feels  reluctantly  com- 
pelled to  say  a  word  as  to  punishments.  They  are  some- 
times a  necessary  evil,  but  they  should  be  resorted  to  as 
seldom  as  possible,  and  only  when  other  methods  fail. 

Punishments  will  be  required  for  delinquencies  of  three, 
kinds:  (i)  failure  in  attendance,  or  unpunctuality,  (2)  mis- 
takes in  singing,  (3)  misconduct. 

With  regard  to  the  first,  a  simple  rule  should  be  in  force 
and  always  adhered  to.  A  fixed  fine  should  be  inflicted  for 
absence ;  a  smaller  one  for  unpunctuality.  When  a  satis- 
factory explanation  is  received  for  either,  the  fine  should  be 
remitted,  otherwise  it  should  be  rigidly  enforced.  An  ex- 
planation in  writing  from  a  parent  should  be  required  in  the 
case  of  a  junior  boy,  for  seniors  a  personal  explanation  will 
generally  suffice.  This  penalty  has  been  placed  under  the 
head  of  punishments,  but  it  should  be  regarded  as  only 
technically  such,  and  its  operation  averted  as  often  as  pos- 
sible. 

A  penalty  for  mistakes  in  singing  is  often  of  great  ad- 
vantage to  every  one  concerned.  Mistakes  may  occur  {a) 
through  insufficient  preparation,  {h)  through  weariness  or 
ill  health,  {c)  through  accident,  or  {d^  through  carelessness. 
In  the  first  case,  the  choirmaster  ought  to  be  fined.  In  the 
second,  a  free  pardon  may  be  granted.  In  the  last  two,  a 
penalty  should  be  inflicted ;  and  here  it  is  important  to 
make  the  punishment  a  suitable  one.  It  should  be  under- 
stood that  when  music  has  been  adequately  prepared  it  must 
be  efficiently  performed,  and  that  the  failure  to  take  pains 
at  the  right  moment  will  inevitably  be  followed  by  much 
more  pains  and  trouble  afterwards.  A  little  firmness  now 
and  then  in  this  way  will  save  endless  future  trouble  and 
disappointment.  For  mistakes  in  singing  a  suitable  punish- 
ment is  the  writing  of  an  imposition.  This  can  be  admin- 
istered in  quite  a  friendly  and  pleasant  manner,  and  explained 
as  being  equivalent  to  a  necessary  medicine  administered  by 
a  wise  physician  to  cure  a  particular  ailment.  I  have  found 
that  all  resentment  and  rebellious  feeling  has  been  removed 


The  Management  of  the  Boys  1 1 

by  consulting  the  boys  upon  this  point  and  letting  them  set 
their  own  impositions,  or  at  any  rate  advise  upon  them  ; 
and  then,  in  the  case  of  a  group  of  boys  incurring  the  same 
penalty,  having  an  understood  rule  that  the  senior  one  shall 
manage  the  affair,  give  round  the  set  copies,  see  that  they 
are  done  by  a  stated  time,  and  collect  them.  Such  sentences 
as  the  following,  written  20,  50,  or  100  times,  have  worked 
wonders : 

"  A  chorister  must  sing  in  tune." 
"  The  human  voice  must  be  correctly  produced." 
"  A  sharp  is  a  sign  to  raise  the  pitch  a  semitone." 
"  Music  must  be  sung  with  care  and  precision." 
*'  A  chorister  must  fulfil  his  duties  to  the  best  of  his 
power;"  etc.,  etc. 
Sometimes  it  answers    the  purpose,  while  varying   the 
monotony,  to  cause  the  actual  passage  where  the  mistake  oc- 
curred to  be  written  out  a  stated  number  of  times ;  e.  g.y 


ser      .        -        .        .        -       vant  .  ,       Is  -    ra    -    el 

ten  times. 

Under  the  third  heading,  misconduct,  come  such  matters 
as  talking  during  the  service,  inattention,  insubordination, 
and  so  forth. 

I  strongly  dislike  punishment  for  these  offences,  as  there 
is  always  a  tendency  towards  the  feeling  that  severity  is  a 
sign  of  weakness  on  the  part  of  the  choirmaster.  The  more 
power  he  has,  the  less  willing  he  should  be  to  exert  it.  The 
good  behaviour  that  is  acquired  by  fear  is  worthless,  when 
looked  at  from  the  highest  standpoint.  Sense  of  duty,  rev- 
erence, espril  de  corps^  and  unselfishness :  these  should  be 
the  underlying  motives  for  good  behaviour.  Still,  after 
saying  this,  occasions  will  sometimes  arise  when  other  mo- 
tives must  be  temporarily  appealed  to.  When  this  is  the 
case,  the  punishment  should  be  such  as  will  be  remembered 
and  will  not  be  required  twice.  Fines  may  be  inflicted  if 
necessary,  but  for  misconduct  the  best  remedy  is  suspension; 
and  when  there  is  a  proper  spirit  among  the  choir  this  will 


12  The  C hoir trainer  s  Art 

be  a  heavy  trial  indeed.  The  writer  has  very  seldom  had 
to  resort  to  suspension,  but,  when  he  has,  the  boys  have 
often  come  to  him  in  tears  and  begged  to  have  any  punish- 
ment but  this,  and  when  their  prayers  were  unavailing  they 
have  been  followed  up  by  those  of  one  or  both  parents. 

With  such  a  spirit  it  will  be  readily  believed  that  mis- 
conduct is  a  rare  thing,  and  this  brings  in  a  final  and  impor- 
tant consideration.  In  all  questions  of  discipline,  let  the 
choirmaster  be  sure  to  enlist  and  keep  the  support  and  co- 
operation of  the  parents.  When  the  latter  know  that  their 
assistance  is  welcomed,  they  will  be  always  most  glad  to 
give  it,  and  they  will  value  highly  the  knowledge  that  their 
children  have  in  the  choirmaster  not  only  a  master,  but  a 
friend  who  has  their  best  interests  at  heart.  It  is  a  good 
plan  sometimes  to  make  it  known  that  the  presence  of  a 
parent  is  occasionally  permitted  at  a  choir  practice ;  the 
musical  ones  will  gladly  avail  themselves  of  this  privilege. 

The  question  of  fines  has  already  been  alluded  to ;  this 
implies  payment.  It  may  be  supposed  that,  after  all  that 
has  been  said  as  to  esprit  de  corps  and  the  motives  for  good 
work,  the  idea  of  payment  will  be  discouraged.  This  is, 
however,  by  no  means  the  case.  In  a  very  large  number 
of  churches  the  boys  are  paid,  if  ever  so  little,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  this  custom  will  be  carried  further  and  become 
universal.  No  reflection  upon  the  loyalty  and  good  will  of 
the  members  is  implied  by  payment ;  it  is  merely  a  recog- 
nition, often  very  welcome,  of  hard  work  and  self-sacrifice. 

If  any  argument  were  needed,  it  is  sufficient  to  mention 
the  saying  that  "  the  labourer  is  worthy  of  his  hire  ";  for 
choir-members  are  indeed  labourers  when  they  do  their  work 
efficiently,  though  they  may  still  be  willing  ones.  For 
boys  to  study  church  music  thoroughly,  and  to  go  through 
all  the  physical  exercise  that  is  essential  to  their  successful 
rendering  of  it,  is  just  as  much  hard  work  as  learning  Latin 
and  the  multiplication  table ;  and  the  help  and  satisfaction 
they  may  derive  from  receiving  a  little  pocket-money  in  re- 
turn is  no  more  introducing  a  wrong  principle  than  is  the 
payment  of  the  clergy,  organists,  vergers,  or  any  other  work- 


The  Management  of  the  Boys  13 

ers.     It  is  the  motives  that  matter;  and  they  can  be  prop- 
erly instilled  just  as  well  with  payment  as  without  it. 

There  are  various  systems  of  payment  in  use.  One 
that  I  would  strongly  deprecate  is  that  of  giving  a  fixed 
sum  for  each  attendance  at  a  service  or  practice.  If  there  is 
any  tendency  to  a  mercenary  spirit,  this  is  the  system  to 
foster  it.  The  best  plan  is  to  give  so  much  a  week,  or  a 
month,  for  all  the  work ;  and  for  absence  without  permis- 
sion to  deduct,  not  the  proportion  that  represents  the  time 
that  has  been  missed,  but  a  much  larger  sum,  thus  refusing 
to  recognize  that  absence  is  permissible.  A  member,  on 
joining  a  choir,  ought  to  undertake  to  be  present  at  all  its 
meetings.  If  he  cannot  do  this,  it  is  better  not  to  join  at 
all.  As  has  been  said  before,  absence  through  illness  or 
or  other  unavoidable  cause  should  be  condoned ;  but  ab- 
sence through  slackness  or  a  counter-attraction  should  never 
be  countenanced,  and  should  be  met  by  a  prohibitory  fine. 

It  will  be  useful  to  describe  a  method  which  the  writer 
has  found  to  work  with  the  best  results  in  a  district  where 
the  boys  have  all  been  drawn  from  the  artisan  class. 

I.   Every  boy  received  i/o  a  month  as  pocket-money. 
1.  Absence  from  an  ordinary  practice  involved  a  fine  of 
id\  unpunctuality,  id  (these  were  remitted  on  re- 
ceipt of  a  valid  excuse). 

3.  Absence  from  the  full  practice  involved  a  fine  of 
(id\  unpunctuality,  2>d  (  these  were  never  remitted, 
except  in  case  of  illness). 

4.  Absence  from  a  Sunday  service  involved  a  fine  of 
i/o  (this  was  never  remitted,  except  in  case  of  ill- 
ness). 

5.  In  addition  to  the  pocket-money,  a  further  sum  was 
placed  to  the  credit  of  each  boy  monthly,  and  al- 
lowed to  accumulate  from  the  time  he  entered  the 
choir  until  his  leaving,  when  the  whole  was  handed 
to  him.  This  amount  varied,  according  to  age, 
ability  and  conduct,  from  i/o  to  lo/o.* 

*  This  was  in  London,  and  for  a  very  large  amount  of  work.  With  a 
smaller  organization  in  the  country  the  writer  found  5/0  sufficient  for  the 
highest  payment. 


H 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


The  amount  of  reserved  pay  was  written  on  a  paper  and 
placed  in  a  frame  in  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  choir  room, 
where  it  might  at  any  time  be  referred  to.  The  sum  placed 
to  the  credit  of  each  boy  each  month  was  shown  ;  at  the  end 
of  the  year  the  total  was  reckoned  up  and  a  fresh  start 
made.     This  is  how  the  *  board  '  appeared  : 

&0utt|[mark  Qlatt^^^l 

Amounts  to  be  given  to  choristers  on  leaving  the  choir,  in  accordance 
with  conditions  of  agreement. 


Name 

— 

Name 

Name 

Name 

Name 

— 

Name 

Name 

Name 



Name 

u 

§  i 

i-i  o 
PQ  05 

1-1 

3 

1- 

3 

< 

c 

3 

"3 

3 

3 

1-. 

e 

C/3 

O 

o 

o 

6 

> 
o 

6 

O 

h 

Fines  were  deducted  from  the  pocket-money,  which  they 
seldom  exceeded ;  if  they  did,  the  further  sum  was  taken 
from  the  reserved  money. 

The  object  of  the  system  of  reserved  pay  was  to  ensure 
that  no  boy  would  ever  contemplate  leaving  the  choir  to  go 
to  another  where  perhaps  the  money  to  be  received  was 
more  and  the  work  less.  This  might  otherwise  have  hap- 
pened in  occasional  cases,  and  the  boys  might  perhaps  be 
excused  for  it,  but  the  unfairness  to  the  choirmaster  would 
have  been  manifest. 


The  Management  of  the  Boys  15 

Another  reason  for  the  system  was  to  secure  the  con- 
tinued attendance  of  boys  after  they  had  left  school  and 
gone  'to  work.'  Boys  who  have  left  school  have  a  tendency 
to  consider  themselves  superior  beings  to  those  who  are 
still  there,  and  they  may  go  further  and  consider  themselves 
too  old  to  associate  with  their  former  companions  in  the 
choir.  It  is  just  at  this  period,  from  14  onwards,  that  their 
voices  are  necessary  to  the  choirmaster ;  so,  in  his  endeav- 
ours to  refute  the  argument  for  leaving  on  account  of  seni- 
ority, his  hands  are  strengthened  by  the  little  balance  which 
may  be  waiting  for  the  boy  at  the  bank.  A  boy's  voice, 
correctly  produced,  frequently  continues  serviceable  until 
the  age  or  17,  18,  or  even  later. 

For  knowledge  and  experience,  ensuring  accuracy  and 
precision,  these  old  boys  are  invaluable ;  one  of  them  being 
worth  half  a  dozen  juniors. 


CHAPTER   IV 
THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  BOYS     (Continued) 

At  every  stage  in  the  choir  routine  it  is  an  advantage  to 
have  things  clearly  stated  in  black  and  white.  A  form  of 
application  is  useful.  On  page  16  is  the  one  used  for 
twelve  years  at  Southwark  Cathedral. 

After  the  form  was  handed  in,  the  particulars  as  to  name, 
address  and  date  of  birth  were  copied  into  a  book,  and 
kept  for  future  reference.  This  book  was  separate  from 
the  roll  book  in  daily  use,  which  contained  spaces  for  enter- 
ing the  attendance  of  each  boy  and  the  money  received  at 
the  end  of  each  month. 

On  a  probationer's  promotion  to  the  rank  of  chorister, 
a  second  form  was  produced  for  signature,  in  order  that  the 
system  of  deferred  pay  should  be  distinctly  understood  and 
accepted  by  the  parents  before  being  entered  upon.  This 
is  an  important  point,  and  should  not  be  overlooked. 
The  form  will  be  round  on  page  17. 


1 6  The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 


^jiuti|UJark  ((Ia%Jiral 


APPLICATION  FOR  ADMISSION  TO   THE   CHOIR 
To  be  presented  to  Dr.  A.    MADELEY   RICHARDSON 

Name  of  Boy 

Address 

Date  of  Birth 

Recommended  by Schoolmaster 

and  by^ .Choirmaster 

I  desire  that  my  Son  shall  be  admitted  to  the  Choir  of 
the  Cathedral,  and  undertake  that,  if  selected,  he  shall 
attend  regularly  and  punctually. 

Parent 


*  This  is  to  be  filled  in  if  the  applicant  has  been  previously  a 
member  of  another  Choir. 


The  Management  of  the  Boys  ^7 

MEMORANDUM 

To  Parents  or  Guardians  of  boys  admitted  into  the 


To  encourage  regular  attendance  a  small  sum  (3^/  a 
week)  is  given  to  each  boy  as  pocket-money,  in  addition  to 
which  a  further  sum  (ranging  from  u  to  lOJ  a  month)  is 
put  aside  for  the  benefit  of  those  boys  who  remain  in  the 
Choir  until  their  voices  break.  Boys  leaving  the  Choir  be- 
fore that  time  are  not  entitled  to  this  money,  except  in  the 
event  of  permanent  illness. 

Five  practices  a  week  are  held  for  boys. 

All  must  attend  these,  in  addition  to  the  two  Services  on 
Sundays. 

Boys  absent  from  practices  without  permission  are  fined 
idy  late  \d. 

All  boys  must  attend  on  Sunday  morning  punctually  at 
10.10.     Those  arriving  later  are  fined  u. 

S.  M.  Taylor, 

Precentor. 

A.  Madeley  Richardson, 

Director  of  the  Choir. 

Name  of  boy 

I  accept  the  above  conditions. 

Signed 


Parent  or  Guardian. 
Date 


1 8  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

For  the  twelve  boys  who  sang  at  the  daily  services  the 
form  was  different,  and  the  conditions  more  complicated. 
This  was  the  form  : 


WIGAN    CHANTERS 

The  twelve  boys  who  sing  at  the  Daily  Evensong  are 
called  Wigan   Chanters. 

Their  duties  are  to  attend  the  Cathedral  daily  at  4.50 
and  sing  at  that  service  and  to  be  present  at  practices  when 
required. 

In  addition  to  the  amounts  given  to  the  rest  of  the  boys 
of  the  Choir,  the  juniors  receive  a  further  sum  of  u  a 
week  as  pocket-money,  provided  their  attendance  Is  regular 
and  punctual  and  their  conduct  good. 

SCHOLARSHIPS 

To  the  senior  boys  between  14  and  17  years  of  age 
Maintenance  Scholarships  are  given  with  a  view  to  assisting 
their  parents  in  continuing  their  education.  Each  Scholar- 
ship is  given  so  long  as  the  holder's  voice  remains  unbroken 
and  on  the  distinct  understanding  that  the  boy  attends  an 
approved  school  during  the  continuance  of  the  Scholarship. 
None  are  taken  whose  parents  are  unable  to  accept  this 
condition. 

The  amounts  of  the  Scholarships  are  as  follows: — 

When  14  years  of  age  ;!^io^ 

15     "  "       2^15  y  in  quarterly  payments. 

In  addition  to  the  above  a  Bonus  of  £1^  is  given  to 
each  boy  on  leaving,  provided  his  voice  has  broken,  or  he 
has  attained  the  age  of  17  years,  and  his  conduct  and  atten- 
dance have  been  satisfactory. 


The  Management  of  the  Boys  19 

No  rule  can  be  laid  down  as  to  the  age  at  which  a  boy's 
voice  will  break  —  the  usual  period  is  between  15  and  16, 
but  in  exceptional  cases  a  voice  may  continue  useful  until 
17  or  later. 

To  Alfred  Madeley  Richardson,  Esquire,  M.A.,  Mus. 
Doc,  Organist  &  Choirmaster  of  Southwarlc  Cathedral. 

I,  the  undersigned,  desire  my  son  (or  ward) to  be 

a  candidate  for  the  post  of  Wigan  Chanter,  I  agree  to  the 
conditions  stated  above,  and  hereby  make  myself  respon- 
sible for  any  breach  thereof  either  by  myself  or  him,  and 
I  undertake  that,  if  appointed,  I  will  make  arrangements 
for  him  to  remain  at  an  approved  school  until  his  voice 
breaks,  or  until  the  age  of  1 7,  whichever  shall  first  occur. 

Dated  this  day  of  ^9     • 

Signature 


Parent  or  Guardian. 
Address 


fVitness — Signature- 
Address 


With  regard  to  the  personnel  of  a  choir,  a  first  consider- 
ation is  that  of  balance  of  voices.  How  many  men  shall 
we  have  ?  and  how  many  boys  ? 

A  complete  church  choir  consists  in  reality  of  two  choirs, 
north  and  south  sides,  Cantoris  and  Decani.  These  latter 
words  are  not  always  understood.      It  may   not  be  super- 


20  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

fluous  to  remind  the  reader  that  they  are  the  terms  used  in 
Cathedrals,  Decani  meaning  the  side  upon  which  sits  the 
Decanus  (or  Dean),  Cantoris  the  side  for  the  Cantor  (or 
Precentor),  who  was,  of  course,  originally  the  Choirmaster. 
The  terms  are  meaningless  when  applied  to  parish  churches, 
which  possess  neither  a  Dean  nor  a  Precentor,  but  they  are 
convenient  names  and  should  be  preserved.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  the  Decani  is  always  the  south  side,  to 
the  right  of  the  altar  looking  up  the  church,  on  which  side 
the  incumbent  of  a  parish  church  has  his  stall ;  and  the 
Cantoris  is  the  north  side. 

Whenever  possible,  each  side  should  represent  a  com- 
plete choir,  one  capable  of  singing  alone  in  a  satisfactory 
manner. 

As  to  size,  the  limit  is  bounded  in  one  direction  by  the 
size  of  the  chancel  and  the  number  of  voices  available. 
Speaking  generally,  the  larger  the  choir  the  better.  But, 
in  the  other  direction,  the  smallest  choir  that  can  be  consid- 
ered complete  would  consist  of  one  man  to  each  part  on 
each  side  —  /.<?.,  two  Altos,  two  Tenors,  and  two  Basses  — 
with  boys  in  proportion. 

In  increasing  the  men  a  true  balance  should  always  be 
aimed  at.  In  most  places  it  is  easy  to  find  extra  basses; 
tenors  and  altos  are  usually  scarce.  The  bass  part  should 
be  stronger  than  either  the  tenor  or  the  alto;  but  not  so 
much  so  as  to  lose  the  effect  of  proportion.  It  would  be 
easy  to  lay  down  rules  as  to  the  exact  number  of  voices, 
but  results  do  not  always  depend  so  much  upon  numbers  as 
upon  the  strength  of  individual  voices.  For  instance,  the 
writer  once  had  a  bass  with  a  magnificent  voice,  who  might 
very  well  have  had  three  or  four  ordinary  tenors  singing 
against  him  and  yet  have  maintained  a  balance.  The  gen- 
eral rule,  therefore,  that  shall  be  laid  down,  is  to  have  the 
number  for  each  part  approximately  equal,  with  a  slight  pre- 
ponderance of  bass,  always  supposing  that  the  voices  are 
fairly  equal  in  strength.  When  exceptional  cases  occur  they 
must  be  met  by  a  corresponding  deviation  from  the  rule. 

As  to  the  number  of  boys,  it  is  still  more  difficult  to  lay 


The  Management  of  the  Boys  ii 


down  an  unvarying  rule ;  so  much  will  depend  upon  the 
age  of  the  boys  and  the  development  of  their  voices.  In 
most  places  only  ordinary  material  can  be  obtained,  and 
then  the  tendency  should  be  to  err  on  the  side  of  having 
too  many  rather  than  too  few  boys. 

When  the  boys  are  chosen  from  good  material,  their 
number  should  equal  the  total  of  all  the  other  parts  added 
together  ;  when  they  are  weak,  the  number  should  be  in- 
creased, even  so  far  as  to  twice  the  number  of  the  men. 

The  question  is  frequently  asked,  At  what  age  should 
a  boy  commence  singing  ?  The  answer  depends  upon 
what  he  is  required  to  do.  When  there  is  a  separate  pro- 
bationers' class  for  the  special  training  of  undeveloped 
voices,  it  will  not  matter  how  young  a  lad  is  when  he  com- 
mences. As  soon  as  a  boy  is  able  to  read  English  he  may 
commence  to  learn  singing;  this  will  probably  be  not  much 
before  seven  years.  On  the  other  hand,  many  boys  can  be 
taken  much  older  —  as  old  as  thirteen.  A  sharp  boy,  with 
plenty  of  practice  and  good  teaching,  will  often  become 
very  useful  though  taken  late.  In  this  matter  the  choir- 
master must  use  his  own  judgment  and  be  guided  greatly 
by  experience.  The  experience  of  the  present  writer  him- 
self is  that  no  boy,  provided  he  loves  the  work  and  tries  to 
get  on,  is  ever  useless,  however  little  he  may  be  naturally 
gifted  or  however  late  he  commences. 

The  question  of  age-limit  at  starting  leads  to  the  ques- 
tion of  age-limit  at  finishing.  The  subject  of  the  breaking 
of  the  boy's  voice  is  very  curious  and  puzzling.  There 
seem  to  be  no  rules  to  guide  us;  only  endless  exceptions. 
A  boy's  voice  never  breaks  before  thirteen  and  a  half,  but 
after  that  age  it  may  go  at  any  time,  and  in  any  way.  Some 
voices  break  quite  suddenly — in  one  day.  I  have  known 
a  boy  sing  his  *  swan's  song'  at  a  given  service,  and  never 
sing  again.  Others  will  give  gradual  warning,  sometimes 
with  many  a  false  alarm.  This  breaking  process  may  be 
extended  for  as  long  as  two  vears.  Some  voices  will  lose 
the  top  notes  first  and  graduallv  sink  down,  never  actually 
*  breaking  '  at  all ;  others,  and  these  are  commoner,  will  lose 


22  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

the  lower  notes  first,  while  the  upper  ones  remain  service- 
able much  longer. 

The  time  of  the  breaking  of  the  voice  being  so  uncer- 
tain, it  is  essential  for  the  well-being  of  a  choir,  and  to  keep 
its  standard  at  a  steady  level,  that  the  boys  should  be 
mixed  as  to  age.  The  choirmaster  will  find  it  a  help  to 
make  out  a  table  of  the  Ages  of  Boys,  separate  and  apart 
from  his  book  of  names,  etc.  This  may  be  revised  once  a 
year,  by  adding  and  removing  names. 

This  table  should  be  kept  always  at  hand  for  reference. 
It  shows  at  a  glance  the  strength  of  a  choir,  and  indicates 
at  any  moment  weakness  as  to  age,  which  should  be  watched 
and  remedied.     It  appears  thus: 

AGES    OF   BOYS 


Date  of  b 

irth 

Name 
Name 

2  Jan. 
6  Feb. 

1898  1 

16 

in 

1914 

Name 

13  Jan- 

1899) 

Name 

4  May 

' 

15 

in 

1914 

Name 

9  June 

"     ) 

Name 

10   Mar. 

1900  \ 

Name 

9  Sep. 

14 

in 

1914 

Name 

3  June 

1901 
etc.,  etc. 

13 

in 

1914 

^  It  is  not  easy  to  answer  the  question  as  to  whether  a 
boy  ought  to  be  allowed  to  sing  while  his  voice  is  break- 
ing, or  whether  it  will  endanger  the  quality  of  his  future 
voice.  Some  eminent  writers  are  strongly  of  opinion  that 
at  the  first  sign  of  breaking  the  boy  should  invariably  stop 
singing.  In  theory  this  sounds  reasonable  enough;  but  in 
actual  practice  it  does  not  seem  such  a  simple  matter  to  set- 
tle. Many  cases  may  be  pointed  out  where  a  boy  has  sung 
right  through  the  breaking  period  without  any  ill  effect. 

The  advice  I  would  give  is,  that  if  a  boy  feels  discom- 
fort and  strain  when  singing  at  this  period  he  should  stop, 
but  that  if  he  feels  the  use  of  his  voice  quite  easy,  then  no 


The  Management  of  the  Boys  ^3 

harm  is  being  done  and  he  may  continue  to  sing.  Nature 
should  be  the  guide  —  who  always  shows  her  danger  signal 
of  pain  or  distress  to  warn  us  from  taking  liberties  with  the 
body.  When  she  shows  the  white  light,  we  need  feel  no 
alarm.  ) 

There  are  various  methods  of  arranging  the  places  of 
boys.  Sometimes  they  are  grouped  in  a  regular  diminish- 
ing succession  from  strong  to  weak.  A  better  method  is 
as  follows : — Consider  two  points,  the  efficiency  of  each 
singer  and  his  personal  character.  Then  choose  the  two 
best  boys  for  the  head  (/.<?.,  the  extreme  west)  places  on 
either  side,  north  and  south.  The  next  two  boys  should 
be  placed  at  the  other  end,  the  east ;  this  being  considered 
the  place  next  in  importance.  After  this  the  centre  should 
be  given  to  the  strongest  remaining  boys,  the  weaker  being 
placed  in  between,  as  nearly  as  possible  keeping  to  the  plan 
of  alternating  a  weak  and  a  strong  all  along  the  line.  The 
places  in  the  practice  room  should  be  the  same  as  in  the 
stalls,  and  all  boys  should  be  required  invariably  to  keep 
in  their  own  places. 

For  probationers'  classes  another  plan  is  recommended. 
The  senior  and  most  efficient  boy  should  stand  at  the  head, 
the  others  following  in  order  of  efficiency.  The  places 
should  be  revised  once  a  month,  or  once  a  week,  the  boys 
who  show  the  greatest  progress  being  promoted  accordingly. 
When  a  vacancy  occurs  in  the  choir,  it  should  be  under- 
stood that  the  head  probationer  is  entitled  to  it.  It  arouses 
interest  and  enthusiasm  and  gives  satisfaction  all  around  if 
the  little  boys  themselves  are  allowed  to  vote  as  to  who 
shall  have  first  place.  True,  they  will  vote  for  the  most 
popular  member  ;  but  it  will  almost  invariably  be  found  that 
the  most  popular  boy  and  the  best  chorister  are  one  and 
the  same  person. 

The  question  of  soloists  is  sometimes  a  trouble  to  the 
parochial  choirmaster.  Occasionally  an  exceptional  voice  will 
appear,  to  which  the  solos  will  obviously  be  entrusted. 
But  sometimes,  while  the  average  standard  may  be  good, 
there  are  no  exceptional  voices  worthy  of  being  heard  alone. 


24  The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 

In  such  cases  it  is  best  to  pick  out  a  few  of  the  likeliest 
boys  —  two,  three,  or  more  —  and  let  them  sing  together. 
When  carefully  trained  the  effect  will  be  quite  satisfactory, 
and  there  will  be  the  additional  advantage  of  not  feeling 
that  everything  depends  upon  one  individual,  who  may  be 
suddenly  taken  ill,  or  otherwise  prevented  from  singing. 
The  good  effect  of  a  number  of  boys  singing  together  has 
been  well  illustrated  at  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  where  at  cer- 
tain times  all  the  boys  combine  to  sing  the  solos.  At 
Southwark  Cathedral  the  writer  has  had  the  soprano  parts 
of  Graun's  Passion,  including  the  Recitatives,  sung  by  five 
boys  together,  and  has  been  asked  afterwards  for  the  name 
of  the  soloist. 

Tenor  voices  are  in  many  places  scarce.  This  is 
sometimes  due  to  faulty  production  ;  and  occasionally  an 
apparent  baritone  will  be  found  who  ought  to  be  singing 
tenor. 

The  alto  voice  is,  however,  the  one  that  gives  most  con- 
cern in  the  ordinary  parish  church.  There  may  be  such  a 
thing  as  a  '  natural '  alto,  but  it  is  so  scarce  that  the  alterna- 
tive plan  of  using  boys  for  the  alto  part  is  sometimes  advo- 
cated. I  am  not  in  favour  of  this ;  firstly,  because  boys 
with  suitable  voices  are  rarely  found,  and  when  they  are 
they  can  always  be  used  with  advantage  for  the  treble  part ; 
and,  secondly,  because  the  arrangements  for  training  boys 
being  so  different  from  those  for  men,  and  the  time  re- 
quired for  them  so  much  longer,  the  extra  burden  upon  the 
choirmaster's  shoulders  caused  by  having  two  sets  of  boys 
to  train  will  seriously  retard  his  efforts  in  the  direction  of 
the  treble  part,  which,  if  it  is  to  be  rendered  with  real  effi- 
ciency, will  need  all  his  energies. 

The  alto,  as  ordinarily  heard,  is  not  a  natural,  but  a 
made,  voice  —  made  by  developing  the  upper  (or  head,  or 
falsetto)  register  of  a  baritone  voice  at  the  expense  of  the 
lower  notes.  Many  an  ordinary  chorus  bass  can  be  trained 
to  sing  alto,  if  he  wishes.  The  price  will  of  course  be  the 
detriment  to  the  natural  voice;  but  in  the  case  of  men  who 
have  no  particular  ambition  in  the  direction  of  solo  work. 


The  Management  of  the  Men  ^5 

this  obstacle  need  not  stand  in  the  way.  The  choirmaster 
will  be  wise  to  look  out  for  altos  young,  to  train  them 
from  old  boys  who  have  ceased  singing  treble,  and  to  start 
them  as  altos  as  soon  as  their  voices  have  begun  to  settle 
down  after  the  breaking  period.  We  shall  return  to  this 
subject  in  another  chapter. 


CHAPTER   V 

THE   MANAGEMENT   OF   THE   MEN 

Successfully  to  manage  choirmen,  unlimited  tact  is  re- 
quired on  the  part  of  the  choirmaster.  There  is  perhaps 
no  class  in  the  community  so  difficult  to  direct  and  yet 
at  the  same  time  with  more  claim  to  consideration  and 
respect. 

Whether  a  choirman  is  paid  or  voluntary,  his  work,  if 
done  well,  is  always  arduous,  nerve-trying  and  self-sacrific- 
ing ;  and  these  facts  should  be  borne  in  mind  when  dealing 
with  him. 

No  good  choirmaster  will  want  reminding  that  all  men 
admire  and  will  follow  a  man  who  knows  his  own  mind, 
and  shows  himself  decided  for  what  he  believes  to  be  right 
and  true,  and  yet  is  ever  ready  to  show  politeness  and  con- 
sideration to  all,  whether  they  agree  with  him  or  not. 

It  is  important  that  the  duties  of  the  choirman  be  made 
quite  clear  from  the  outset,  the  rules  of  the  choir  distinctly 
stated  and  consistently  adhered  to.  The  discipline  of  the 
choir  must  be  steadily  maintained,  and  the  men  will  work 
contentedly  and  happily  when  they  know  that  they  are  be- 
ing ruled,  and  by  a  wise  ruler. 

It  is  convenient  to  have  a  set  form  of  application  for 
Choirmen.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  form  used  by 
the  present  writer,  in  cooperation  with  the  Precentor,  at 
Southwark  Cathedral  for  twelve  years: 


26  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


»outi)tdarfe  Catfjebral 


Application  for  Admission  to  the  Choir,   to  be  filled  in  and 
returned  to  Dr.    A.    MADELEY  RICHARDSON 


Name  infulL 
Age 


Address. 


Occupation. 
Voice 


Are  you  a  regular  Communicant  \ 

of  the  Church  of  England?      J 

Are  you  prepared  to  attend  with  unfailing  regularity  at  : 

(i?)      Two  Services  every  Sunday  ; 

{¥)       Two  Practices  during  the  week,  on  Mondays,  at  8.15, 
and  Fridays,  at  7.30  ? 

Can  you  meet  the  Precentor  and  the  Director  of  the  Choir 
at^ . . 

on at. . 


9.     Please  be  prepared  to  sing  one  of  the  following  Solos 

Alto.  —  "O  rest  in  the  Lord."    Mendelssohn 

Tenor.  —  "  Every  valley."    Handel 

Bass.  —  ♦*  O  God,  have  mercy." Mendelssohn 

I  o.     Please  give  two  references  : 

(<j)      To  a  Clergyman 


(^)      To  a  Professional  Musician. 


The  Management  of  the  Men  27 

In  the  direction  of  the  choir,  as  with  the  boys,  still  more 
with  the  men,  it  is  valuable  to  maintain  what  I  have  called  a 
limited  monarchy.  With  this  in  mind,  the  sympathy  and 
cooperation  of  the  members  should  be  freely  invited,  which 
can  be  done  when  holding  occasional  business  meetings. 
This  will  make  it  clear  that  the  choir  is  not  carried  on  to 
suit  the  pleasure  of  any  particular  person,  but  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Church  in  general  and  the  congregation  of  its 
own  church  in  particular,  of  which  it  may  not  be  super- 
fluous to  suggest  that  the  choir  are  members,  and,  in  fact, 
leading  members. 

To  maintain  a  spirit  of  friendliness  and  good-fellowship, 
occasional  social  meetings  should  be  held.  These  will,  of 
course,  vary  according  to  the  circumstances  of  each  choir, 
but  they  should  never  be  neglected. 

There  is  a  more  important  subject.  The  choirmen 
should  first  and  foremost  be  communicants,  and  this  leads 
to  the  suggestion  that  great  good  will  result  from  institut- 
ing Corporate  Communions  at  stated  times,  monthly,  or  at 
any  rate  quarterly.  Unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken,  these 
will  be  highly  valued  by  the  choirmen,  and  will  help  more 
than  anything  else  to  make  the  choir  a  success  in  the  high- 
est and  best  sense  of  the  word. 

For  many  years  a  quarterly  Corporate  Communion  for 
the  choir  was  held  at  Southwark  Cathedral,  and  each  ser- 
vice was  preceded  by  a  devotional  meeting  on  the  Friday 
before.  These  services  were  much  appreciated  by  the 
members  of  the  late  choir,  and  helped  largely  to  foster  the 
spirit  of  loyalty  and  devotion  which  enabled  them  to  attain 
such  reputation. 

One  of  the  difficulties  that  beset  the  choirmaster  in 
dealing  with  the  men  is  the  apportionment  of  solo  parts. 
Singers  are  sensitive,  and  naturally  like  their  voices  to  be 
heard  ;  but  they  are  not  always  the  best  judges  as  to  their 
own  value  as  soloists.  When  the  choirmaster  leaves  him- 
self open  to  the  allotment  of  solos  at  pleasure,  disappoint- 
ment and  misunderstandings  are  sure  to  arise.  The  best 
plan  is  to  have  a  definite  rule.     Whenever  circumstances 


^8  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

permit,  certain  singers  should  be  engaged  and  definitely 
appointed  to  take  the  solos.  When  these  fail  through  ill 
health  or  other  cause,  the  gap  should  be  filled  automatically. 
There  should  be  a  second  soloist,  and  perhaps  a  third  ;  then 
all  misunderstanding  and  disappointment  will  be  avoided. 

Whenever  possible,  choirmen  should  be  paid,  for  the 
same  reasons  as  were  given  for  the  payment  of  boys.  When 
a  choir  is  well  organized  and  thoroughly  efficient,  men  will 
generally  be  glad  to  join.  The  payment  should  be  re- 
garded as  a  retaining  fee,  and  a  little  compensation  for  the 
sacrifice  sometimes  entailed  when  a  singer  has  put  off  an- 
other engagement  in  order  to  fill  his  place  in  the  choir. 

Choirmen  value  recognition  in  this  way,  and  will  always 
work  better  for  it ;  and  it  enables  the  choirmaster  to  have  a 
definite  business  arrangement  with  them,  which  greatly 
lightens  his  labour  and  smooths  his  path.  It  is  astonish- 
ing how  little  they  will  be  satisfied  with.  For  instance,  in 
the  late  choir  of  Southwark  Cathedral  the  writer  had  sev- 
eral valued  singers  who  gave  their  services  for  the  sum  of 
£1^  a  year,  their  attendances  including  two  services  every 
Sunday  and  two  long  and  arduous  practices  each  week. 

When  a  small  payment  is  made,  an  agreement  can  be 
signed  with  the  singers,  setting  forth  clearly  the  exact  duties 
required  of  them.  We  print  below,  as  a  specimen,  the 
agreement  which  the  writer  used  at  Southwark,  under  the 
authority  of  the  Dean  and  Chapter,  drawn  up  by  the  Pre- 
centor and  himself,  in  consultation  with  the  Chapter  Clerk. 

iWemoranbum  of  Agreement 

made  the  day  of  One  thousand  Nine 

hundred  and  BETWEEN    KKixiiX  MaMfg 

litrl|arba0tt  of  Southwark  in  the  County  of  Surrey  Doctor 
of  Music  Organist  and  Choirmaster  of  the  Cathedral 
Church  of  Saint  Saviour  in  Southwark  aforesaid  (herein- 
after called  "  the  said  Choirmaster ")  of  the  one  part  and 

of  in  the 

County  of  (hereinafter  called 

"the  said  Choirman")  of  the  other  part. 


The  Management  of  the  Men  ^9 

WHEREBY    IT   IS   AGREED   AS   FOLLOWS:  — 

I.  THAT  the  said  Choirman  will  regularly  and 
punctually  attend  and  to  the  best  of  his  skill  and  ability 
sing  in  the  Choir  of  the  Cathedral  Church  of  Saint  Saviour 
Southwark  aforesaid  (hereinafter  called  "the  Cathedral")  at 
two  services  on  all  Sundays  at  one  service  on  Christmas 
Day  on  Good  Friday  and  on  Ascension  Day  respectively 
and  at  two  practices  in  each  week  at  such  time  or  times  and 
so  far  as  regards  the  said  practices  at  such  place  or  places  as 
the  said  Choirmaster  shall  appoint. 

1.  THAT  the  said  Choirman  will  in  the  same  man- 
ner attend  and  sing  at  all  special  services  to  be  held  in  the 
Cathedral  when  the  attendance  of  the  full  choir  is  required. 

3.  THAT  the  said  Choirman  shall  be  allowed  if  de- 
sired at  least  three  weeks  holiday  either  all  together  or  at 
different  periods  of  one  week  at  a  time  as  he  may  select 
convenient  to  the  said  Choirmaster. 

4.  THAT  the  said  Choirman  will  to  the  best  of  his 
skill  and  ability  with  due  punctuality  and  dispatch  and  af 
all  times  and  in  all  respects  duly  and  faithfully  observe 
obey  and  perform  all  the  lawful  and  reasonable  require- 
ments directions  and  commands  of  the  said  Choirmaster  or 
other  person  for  the  time  being  in  authority  over  the  choir 
and  in  the  same  manner  perform  all  such  duties  as  shall  be 
required  of  him  in  his  capacity  of  Choirman. 

5.  THAT  the  said  Choirman  will  at  all  times  espe- 
cially when  within  the  Cathedral  or  its  precincts  demean 
himself  with  reverence  (neither  talking  nor  jesting  nor  lean- 
ing forward  instead  of  kneeling  on  his  knees  during  divine 
service)  and  in  all  respects  uphold  the  dignity  and  sanctity 
of  his  office. 

6.  THAT  the  said  Choirman  shall  not  absent  him- 
self from  any  of  the  above-mentioned  services  or  practices 
(except  in  case  of  his  illness  when  he  will  produce  a  Medi- 
cal Certificate  to  that  effect)  without  the  previous  consent 


30  The   Choirtrainers  Art 

in  writing  of  the  said  Choirmaster  or  other  person  for  the 
time  being  in  authority  over  the  choir. 

7.  THAT  the  said  Choirmaster  in  consideration  of  the 
agreement  on  the  part  of  the  said  Choirman  will  pay  or 
cause  to  be  paid  to  the  said  Choirman  a  salary  of 
pounds  per  annum  by  quarterly  payments  to  be  computed 
from  the  date  of  these  presents,  and  also  for  each  atten- 
dance at  a  Special  Service  as  hereinbefore  mentioned  a  fur- 
ther sum  of  or  if  taking  solos 

8.  THAT  either  of  the  said  parties  may  determine 
the  engagement  hereby  created  and  this  agreement  at  any 
time  on  giving  unto  the  other  of  them  one  calendar  month's 
notice  in  writing  for  that  purpose. 

9.  AND  THAT  in  case  of  any  misconduct  on  the 
part  of  the  said  Choirman  or  on  the  breach  of  any  or  either 
of  the  agreements  or  stipulations  hereinbefore  on  his  part 
contained  the  said  engagement  and  this  agreement  shall  at 
the  option  of  the  said  Choirmaster  and  without  notice 
thenceforth  cease. 

IN     WITNESS     WHEREOF    the     said    Alfred 
Madeley  Richardson  and  the  said 

the  parties  to  these  presents  have  hereunto  set  their 
hand  the  day  and  year  first  above  written. 

SIGNED  by  the  said  Alfred 
Madeley  Richardson  in  the 
presence  of 

SIGNED  by  the  said 


in  the  presence  of 

ON  behalf  of  the  Dean  and  Chapter  I  consent  to  the 
above  Agreement. 

Precentor. 


JIMJl.^JJk^Ui.WJ>^k  .^^  ^«Jl.^Ml.t.«JjaJ.U^...,t.^^....M» 


S^SS^^^SBBapp 


SB^EKSSaS^^^SE^^^^sa^^^B 


«3»g»MJjaj»JWg^>»«HWL.UJJ,IWUI  it 


^  '■ 


n.l.L«^t^mM.i..» 


^  J.I111.  ju.»«.«.^v^»_».  >^^.  . .  .jj^rj-  k..  t..«»--»^«jr«.- 


L±± 


CHAPTER   VI 

WOMEN   SINGERS 

Occasionally  in  England,  and  very  frequently  in  America, 
the  upper  parts  are  sung  by  women  instead  of  boys.  When 
this  is  the  case,  the  choirmaster's  task  will  be  greatly  light- 
ened. It  is  necessary  here  to  discuss  the  treatment  of 
ladies  as  choir-members.  The  choirmaster  will  manage 
them,  speaking  generally,  in  the  same  way  as  the  men,  with, 
of  course,  the  modifications  implied  by  the  rule  place  aux 
dames.  In  a  mixed  choir  the  alto  problem  will  be  solved 
by  the  taking  of  both  treble  and  alto  parts  by  women. 

The  innumerable  practices  necessary  for  the  proper 
training  of  boys  will  give  place  to  one,  or  (if  possible)  two, 
full  practices  a  week,  at  which  every  member  will  be  present. 

The  plan  of  having  a  regularly  appointed  soloist,  and  a 
second  as  a  substitute,  is  still  more  important  than  in  the 
case  of  men. 

As  to  numbers,  a  good  deal  will  still  depend  upon  the 
strength  of  individual  voices,  but,  as  a  general  rule,  the  con- 
tralto part  should  be  of  the  same  strength  as  the  tenor,  the 
treble  part  slightly  stronger. 

The  production  of  the  female  voice  is  the  same  as  that 
of  the  boy.  The  tone  is  fuller,  but,  excepting  in  the  case 
of  highly  trained  singers,  less  flexible.  General  directions 
can  be  given  to  women  as  to  voice-production  during  the 
course  of  an  ordinary  practice,  bearing  upon  points  which 
occur  in  the  text  of  the  service  music.  These  they  will 
gladly  follow,  and  apply  to  their  home  practice. 

If  time  permits,  it  is  of  great  advantage  to  employ  in 
the  mixed  choir  Stainer's  "  Choral  Society  Vocalization  " 
(  Novello  &  Co.). 


;?» 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE   PRACTICE   ROOM 

Wherever  possible,  there  should  be  a  place  set  apart 
for  the  use  of  the  choir.  By  a  special  room,  properly  fur- 
nished, choir  work  is  greatly  facilitated,  and  much  is  made 
practicable  which  would  be  out  of  the  question  if  the  prac- 
tices were  held  in  makeshift  quarters. 

The  holding  of  ordinary  practices  in  church  is  strongly 
to  be  deprecated,  as  much  of  the  mechanical  work  necessary 
in  voice-training  is  unsuitable  for  a  sacred  building.  If  a 
special  room  is  unavailable,  then  a  vestry  or  schoolroom 
should  be  utilized. 

The  room  should  be  large,  lofty  and  well  ventilated, 
well  lighted  and  quiet,  so  that  the  softest  and  most  delicate 
sounds  can  be  distinctly  heard. 

There  are  several  ways  in  which  it  may  be  arranged. 
In  any  case,  the  places  for  the  boys  should  correspond  with 
those  they  occupy  in  church. 

The  boys  should  be  divided  into  two  sides.  Decani  and 
Cantoris ;  but  it  is  desirable  that  they  should  all  face  the 
same  way  during  the  singing,  so  as  to  avoid  all  chance  of 
watching  one  another  and  diverting  attention  from  the  work 
in  hand.  It  should  be  possible  for  the  choirmaster  to  see  all 
faces  at  the  same  moment.  For  this,  either  the  boys  should 
stand  on  different  levels,  or  the  master  should  be  raised 
iabove  them. 

Music-stands  are  a  necessity,  so  that  the  singer's  hands 
may  be  left  free,  the  right  hand  beating  time.  Long  stands 
may  be  used,  capable  of  accomodating  five  or  six  boys  each, 
the  height  being  suitable  for  the  tallest  boys.  The  short 
ones  can  be  supplied  with  wooden  stools  to  stand  upon, 
bringing  the  heads  sufficiently  high  to  see  the  music  easily. 
Here  are  two  plans  for  a  practice  room  : 

32 


Practices  and  Rehearsals  ZTi 

A  small  cottage  pianoforte  should  be  used,  which  can 
be  easily  moved  about ;  not  a  harmonium. 

When  the  choirmaster  plays  the  pianoforte  himself,  it 
may  be  placed  upon  a  wooden  platform.  When  he  has  an- 
other person  to  play  (the  better  plan),  it  may  be  on  the 
ground,  and  he  himself  should  be  on  the  platform,  sitting 
or  standing. 

Other  furnishings  for  the  choir  room  will  be  a  large 
table,  hat  pegs,  the  frame  in  which  the  amount  of  payments 
can  be  seen  (  see  p.  14),  a  notice  board,  the  attendance-book 
and  other  books  of  reference,  and  corks.  There  will  be  more 
to  say  about  these  later.  A  large  quantity  should  be  kept, 
about  ^  inch  long.  They  may  be  obtained  for  a  small  sum 
per  gross  from  any  cork-cutter's. 

Facilities  for  the  distribution  and  collection  of  music 
should  be  considered.  When  many  books  are  required  in 
succession,  time  may  be  saved  either  by  their  being  placed  on 
the  music-stands  before  commencing  work,  or  by  their  being 
arranged  on  a  chair  or  stand  at  one  end  of  each  row.  Then, 
when  the  time  for  change  comes,  the  piece  that  is  done  with 
can  be  handed  up  in  one  direction  to  be  received  at  the  end 
of  the  row  and  placed  upon  a  convenient  table,  while  the 
next  piece  is  being  handed  out  from  the  other  end.  This 
small  point  is  not  unimportant,  as  much  valuable  time  will 
be  saved  by  careful  arrangement. 


CHAPTER    VIII 
PRACTICES   AND    REHEARSALS 

There  is  no  royal  road  to  choir-singing  any  more  than 
to  other  things.  A  first-rate  trainer  will  produce  a  first- 
rate  choir;  but  only  if  he  has  suflicient  time  in  which  to 
teach  them. 

Good  singing  involves  steady  and  constant  hard  work, 
and  those  who  are  unable  or  unwilling    to  give  this    can 


34  The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 

never  hope  for  the  best  results.  In  no  form  of  activity 
can  efficiency  be  attained  without  regular  application,  but 
in  none  less  than  in  singing.  The  one  watchword  should 
be  *  hard  work.'  In  reply  to  the  question  as  to  how  many 
practices  should  be  held  it  may  be  answered  that  the  really 
satisfactory  arrangement  is  to  have  one  every  day.  If  this 
is  impossible  the  next  best  thing  will  be  to  hold  five,  or 
four,  a  week.  There  will  be  plenty  to  do,  and  only  too 
little  time  to  do  it  in.  The  object  of  a  practice  is  not 
merely  to  prepare  the  music  of  the  service  —  the  actual 
learning  of  the  notes  can  often  be  accomplished  in  a  very 
short  time  —  but  the  training  of  the  voice  as  a  musical  in- 
strument, the  development  of  the  muscles  of  the  vocal 
organs,  and  of  all  the  parts  of  the  body  used  in  the  pro- 
duction of  tone.  These  need  constant  exercise,  just  as 
much  as  other  muscles  require  it  for  the  running  or  a  race 
or  the  playing  of  a  game. 

There  are  various  kinds  of  practices.  A  good  plan  is 
to  have  certain  ones  at  which  the  time  is  entirely  given  up 
to  the  study  of  voice-production.  When  the  choir  has 
a  very  large  amount  of  music  to  prepare,  and  perhaps  a 
daily  service  to  sing,  it  is  best  to  have  a  separate  probation- 
ers' class  for  this,  at  which  the  subject  can  be  fully  gone 
into  without  any  rush  or  hurrying.  Where  the  demands 
are  less  exacting,  all  the  boys  may  practise  together,  either 
taking  voice-production  alone  on  certain  days,  or  else  di- 
viding the  time  at  each  practice,  giving  half  to  production, 
the  other  half  to  the  church  music. 

Once  a  week  a  separate  practice  should  be  held  for  men 
alone,  to  learn  all  the  technical  details  of  their  parts.  T,hey 
will  require  much  less  time  than  the  boys  ;  their  voices  will 
in  most  cases  be  already  produced  and  formed,  and  what 
they  will  require  to  learn  will  be  accuracy  of  notes,  expres- 
sion, and  style. 

The  boys  and  men  having  been  separately  prepared, 
they  should  meet  all  together  once  a  week  for  a  '  full ' 
rehearsal.  This  is  best  held  in  the  stalls  in  church,  in  the 
same  places  as  are  occupied  at  the  services.     This  will  be 


English  and  American  Boys  3S 

the  occasion  for  putting  on  the  final  touches,  for  summing 
up  what  has  been  previously  studied,  and  for  drawing  to- 
gether the  various  voices  into  a  finished  work. 

When  holding  practices  for  boys  it  is  perhaps  unnec- 
essary to  say  that  punctuality  and  order  are  of  great  im- 
portance. Promptness  and  precision  are  also  points  to 
remember.  No  moment  of  the  time  should  ever  be  lost; 
as  few  words  as  possible  spoken,  and  these  always  to  the 
point.  From  start  to  finish  the  mind  should  be  fixed  upon 
the  work  in  hand  and  never  allowed  to  wander.  Such  de- 
tails as  the  manner  of  entering  and  leaving  the  room  should 
not  be  overlooked.  Quiet  and  order  should  mark  the  first; 
the  latter  should  be  done  upon  a  definite  plan,  the  boys 
walking  out  in  single  file  at  the  word  of  command,  with- 
out noise  or  confusion. 

When  holding  a  very  long  rehearsal  or  practice  it  is  well 
occasionally  to  allow  the  singers  to  sit,  but  in  general  the 
standing  posture  is  preferable.  Sometimes,  when  rehearsing 
in  church,  the  parts  of  the  service  that  have  to  be  sung 
kneeling  may  be  practised  in  that  position ;  neglect  of  this 
often  causes  a  bad  rendering. 

All  kneeling  should  be  with  the  back  straight  and  the 
head  erect. 

Weariness  and  strain  can  be  avoided  by  placing  the  has- 
sock or  kneeling-mat  well  under  the  body,  so  as  to  throw 
the  centre  of  gravity  forward. 


CHAPTER    IX 

ENGLISH  AND  AMERICAN   BOYS 

The  English  boy  is  steady,  quiet,  plodding,  reliable  :  the 
American  boy  is  bright,  vivacious,  enquiring,  emotional. 
Both  make  good  material  for  choir  work ;  their  traits  of 
character  will  come  out  in  their  singing,  and  can  be  used  by 
the  choirmaster  with  a  special  view  to  the  results  he  is  aim- 
ing at.. 


3  6  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

Before  I  came  to  America  I  was  warned  against  the 
American  boy.  I  was  told  that  he  had  no  singing-voice, 
that  his  tone  was  thin  and  poor,  and  his  compass  limited ; 
that  he  was  difficult  to  manage  and  unwilling  to  work ;  and 
in  other  ways  he  was  libelled  to  me.  I  listened,  and  kept 
my  own  counsel.  As  I  expected,  all  this  proved  to  be 
pure  invention.  The  American  boy  often  sings  very  badly, 
to  be  sure,  and  he  often  behaves  very  badly ;  but  in 
these  cases  the  fault  lies  with  the  choirmaster  rather  than 
with  the  chorister.  We  hear  loud  cries  for  more  choir 
schools,  as  if  they  were  the  one  thing  needful.  The  real 
need  is,  not  for  schools  for  choristers,  but  schools  for  choir- 
masters, to  teach  them  to  use  the  material  they  have  at 
hand  in  every  place,  instead  of  seeking  for  something  out- 
side their  own  particular  range. 

Since  coming  to  America  I  have  been  so  frequently 
asked  by  friends  on  both  sides  of  the  water  what  I  think  of 
American  boys,  that  I  am  sure  the  reader  will  pardon  my 
relating  some  of  my  own  experiences  over  here. 

On  arriving  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  I  was  requested  to  found 
a  boy-choir.  Several  abortive  attempts  had  previously  been 
made,  I  was  told  ;  but  I  said  I  was  quite  willing  to  try  again. 

It  was  then  announced  that  I  was  ready  to  receive  appli- 
cations. A  large  body  of  boys  arrived  on  a  certain  day, 
and  I  selected  the  required  number.  Not  one  had  what  is 
commonly  called  a  '  voice.'  On  their  first  attempting  to 
sing,  the  noise  they  emitted  would  be  difficult  to  describe  on 
paper  ;  but  that  did  not  matter.  What  was  worse  was  their 
behaviour.  At  the  beginning  I  could  not  hear  myself 
speak,  so  great  was  the  hubbub  of  conversation  ;  and,  as 
for  manners,  such  were  apparently  unheard  of. 

Here  then  was  the  material,  and  I  started  to  make  out 
of  it  a  choir.  Many  were  the  warnings  I  received  from  the 
Cassandras  of  the  place.  A  leading  local  musician  met  me 
one  day  and  something  like  the  following  conversation  en- 
sued : — 

Leading   Local   Musician. — *  Why,   Dr.    Richardson,   I 
hear  you  are  going  to  start  a  boys'  choir.     You  are  of 


English  and  American  Boys  37 

course  a  stranger  here,  so  I  ought  to  warn  you  that 

there    are    no    boys    to    be    had.     You    come    from 

London,  but  things  are  different  here.' 
A.M.R. — *  Oh,  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that ;    but  I  think  I 

will  try.  One  can  but  fail,  you  know.' 
L.L.M. — *  Well,  I  have  warned  you.' 

A  few  weeks  later  the  same  person  met  me  again. 
L.L.M. — *  So  you  have  got  some  boys  together.     But, 
make  no  mistake,  you  will  not  be  able  to  do  anything  with 
them.     /  know  what  Newport  boys  are. 

A.M.R. — *  Ah,  but  never  mind,  we  must  make  the  best 
of  things.     I    am    sorry  to  hear,  however,  that  the 
prospect  is  so  dark.' 
L.L.M. — 'Well,  good  luck  to  you.' 

A  month  or  so  afterwards  :  — 

L.L.M. — 'So  you  are  still  going  on  with  the  boys,  are 

you  ?' 
A.M.R. — *  Yes,  indeed;  and  they  are  very  enthusiastic, 

attending  every  day,  and  singing  like  birds.' 
L.L.M. — '  Oh  !  are  they  ?  but,  you  know,  that  will  not 

last.     Nothing  ever  goes  on  in   Newport,  and  in  any 

case  boys  will  not  attend  every  day.' 
A.M.R. — '  I  am  grateful  for  your  kind  imformation,  but 

I  hope  things  will  not  turn  out  quite  so  badly.' 

In  six  months'  time:  — 

L.L.M. — '  I  am  truly  astonished  to  hear,  Dr.  Richard- 
son, that  your  boys  are  going  on  so  well  ;  how  do  you 
manage  it  ?' 

A.M.R. — '  Why,  there  is  no  difficulty  ;  they  like  it,  and 
they  come.' 

L.L.M. — '  What  are  you  going  to  do  for  the  summer  ?' 

A.M.R.^'  We  shall  go  on  just  the  same.  We  cannot 
stop  when  the  best  part  or  the  season  is  upon  us.' 

L.L.M. — *  You  think  the  boys  will  attend  during  the 
summer!  Now  there  you  really  are  mistaken.  Di- 
rectly the  holidays  commence  they  will  all  drop  off, 
and  you  will  have  no  singers  at  all.' 


3  8  The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 

A.M.R. — '  How  distressing  that  will  be  !  Well,  we 
must  not  despair,  but  go  on  trying.' 

The  end  of  all  this  was  that  the  boys  did  attend  all  the 
time  I  was  in  Newport,  summer  and  winter,  regularly  and 
punctually  every  day,  with  the  exception  of  two  weeks  when 
they  went  into  summer  camp.  Their  behaviour  improved 
so  that  in  the  end  it  was  quite  exemplary.  Their  enthusi- 
asm and  interest  never  wavered  ;  and  their  singing  before  I 
left  was  as  good,  allowing  for  conditions,  as  anything  I  have 
ever  had. 

The    American    boy    is    more    enterprising    and    more 

*  grown  up'  than  the  English  boy;  though  less  thoughtful 
and  less  thorough.  We  had  some  amusing  experiences 
during  the  course  of  training.  One  day  the  subject  of  study 
was  the  hymn  '  The  Church's  one  foundation.'  On  reach- 
ing the  words  '  by  heresies  distressed,'  Do  they  know  (I 
wondered)  what  they  are  singing  about  ?  '  Now,  what  are 
heresies  ?'      Hesitation  followed  ;  no  one  ventured  to  reply. 

*  Do  you  know  ?'  said  I.  '  Oh,  yes,  I  can  tell  you,'  cries  a 
bright  little  fellow,  '  Why,  Sir,  ladies  who  inherit  fortunes.' 

As  the  summer  congregation  of  Trinity  Church,  New- 
port, is  mostly  composed  of  millionaires,  this  answer  seemed 
singularly  happy. 

The  boys  took  a  keen  interest  in  the  Church's  Seasons. 
Shortly  before  Easter  two  were  overheard  while  walking 
along  the  street  in  animated  conversation.  '  Say,'  says  No. 
I,  'this  is  Holy  Week.'  'You  get  along,'  replies  No.  2, 
*it's  Passion  Week.'  'I  tell  yer  it's  Holy  Week.'  'An' 
/  tells  yer  it's  Passion  Week ;  an'  if  yer  sez  that  agen  /'// 
lam  yer  in  tH  eyeV 

They  were  also  inclined  to  become  ardent  ritualists. 
One  Sunday  morning  the  whole  body  of  boys  made  an 
elaborate  bow  to  the  altar  on  entering  the  church.  I  was  a 
little  surprised  ;  but  thought,  of  course,  that  the  Rector 
must  have  given  instructions  upon  the  subject.  On  enquir- 
ing afterwards,  however,  what  was  my  surprise  to  find  that 
the  thing  had  been  planned  and  carried  out  entirely  on  their 
own  initiative,  after  consultation  with  a  certain  youth  in  the 


English  and  American  Boys  39 

parish  who  was  supposed  to  be  versed  in  the  *  correct  thing.' 
On  another  occasion  one  of  the  boys  who  had  been  re- 
cently confirmed,  asked  for  a  confidential  talk  with  me,  and 
then  requested  me  to  arrange  for  the  choristers  to  have 
special  private  prayers  given  to  them  for  daily  use. 

I  do  not  think  that  any  of  these  things  could  have  hap- 
pened in  England ;  I  therefore  relate  them  as  incidents 
characteristic  of  the  American  boy. 

The  speed  with  which  the  Newport  boys  picked  up 
ideas  of  correct  voice-using,  and  the  rendering  of  music, 
was  astonishing  ;  and,  in  every  way,  I  found  them,  not  more 
trouble,  but  easier  to  teach  and  manage  than  English  boys. 
This  was  especially  remarkable  in  the  matter  of  chanting. 
When  they  commenced,  they  had  not  even  heard  that  there 
was  such  a  book  as  the  Prayer  Book,  much  less  that  there 
were  Psalms  and  chanting  ;  but  I  found  that  by  simply  tell- 
ing them  to  pronounce  the  words  as  in  speaking,  fitting  the 
tune  on  at  the  same  time,  there  was  little  need  for  anything 
else  to  secure  first-rate  chanting.  They  appeared  to  take  to 
it  instinctively.  It  seemed  to  me  that  this  was  one  more 
proof  as  to  what  is  the  natural,  and  therefore  the  correct, 
method  of  chanting  :  the  method  that  is  easiest.  I  am  sure 
that  it  would  have  taken  more  pains  to  teach  them  the 
usual  style  of  word-distortion.  The  real  difficulty  in  teach- 
ing correct  chanting  lies  in  the  necessity  for  eradicating  old 
faults,  not  in  inculcating  anything  new.  We  shall  soon 
return  to  this  subject. 


PART    II 
VOICE-PRODUCTION 


4» 


PART    II 


VOICE-PRODUCTION 


Chapter   I :    Methods  of  Voice-production 

•      43 

Chapter  II :   Tone  (I) 

Method  of  Breathing  .... 

.      46 

Attack      ...... 

.      48 

Chapter  III :   Tone  (II) 

Resonance          ..... 

50 

Balance    ...... 

52 

Chapter  IV :    Practical  Directions   .... 

55 

Chapter  V  :   Vowel-quality   ..... 

•     58 

Chapter  VI :   The  Consonants         .... 

62 

Chapter  VII :   First  Steps  for  Boys 

66 

Chapter  VIII:   First  Steps  for  Boys  (cent.) 

69 

Chapter  IX  :   Agility  Exercises  —  Scales  . 

75 

Chapter  X  :   Agility  Exercises  —  Arpeggios,  etc. 

79 

Chapter  XI :   Use  of  the  Blackboard 

83 

Chapter  XII :  Vowels  and  Consonants  Combined 

84 

Chapter  XIII :   The  Training  of  Altos     .           .           .           . 

91 

42 


CHAPTER    I 
METHODS  OF  VOICE-PRODUCTION 

The  student  who  pins  his  faith  on  the  study  of  books 
upon  voice-production  will  find  many  stumbling-blocks  in 
his  path.  Of  recent  years  numerous  able  and  ingenious 
writers  have  attacked  the  subject,  each  seemingly  quite  sure 
that  his  own  particular  method  is  right,  and  each  contradict- 
ing, partially  or  wholly,  the  theories  of  his  rivals.  Upon 
almost  every  point  which  calls  for  consideration  it  will  be 
found  that  contradictory  opinions  are  held  by  persons  with 
claims  for  a  hearing. 

What  conclusion  is  to  be  inferred  from  all  this  ?  Shall 
the  reader  turn  away  in  despair  and  trust  to  his  own  natural 
instinct  without  any  guide  at  all  ?  or  shall  he  pick  out  one 
guide  and  leave  all  others  alone  ?  There  must  surely  be 
some  absolute  truth  as  regards  voice-production,  some  secret 
which  Nature  might  reveal  if  she  chose,  though  at  present 
she  remains  silent  and  calmly  refuses  to  divulge  it,  just  as 
she  refuses  to  answer  the  question  *  What  is  life  ?' 

It  would  appear  that  in  this  matter  truth  is  many-sided, 
that  some  of  its  sides  have  been  seen  by  theorists  separately, 
but  that  the  whole,  all  the  sides  together,  have  not  yet  been 
beheld  at  one  glance.  None  of  the  various  systems  of 
voice-production  at  present  in  use  could  have  had  any  vogue 
if  it  had  had  no  basis  of  truth  to  rest  upon  ;  and  this  is  fur- 
ther shown  by  the  fact  that  each  has  in  individual  cases  pro- 
duced good  results.  It  will  be  well,  then,  not  to  condemn 
any  or  all  systems  because  they  do  not  seem  to  satisfy  every 
requirement,  but  to  try  and  glean  something  from  each,  to 
sift  out  the  truth  from  the  error,  testing  everything  by  the 
only  true  criterion,  results.  In  no  subject  is  the  force  of 
the  saying  that  *  the  tree  is  known  by  its  fruits '  more  ob- 
vious. A  system  of  voice-production  which  will  give  two 
results  —  beautiful  tone  to  the  hearer,  and  ease  to  the  per- 
former —  that  system  is  right. 

43 


44  The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 

It  is  suggested  that  the  student  should  observe  and  study 
all  methods  of  voice-production,  accepting  from  each  what 
experience  proves  to  be  right,  and  cautiously  rejecting  that 
which  experience  fails  to  justify.  The  longer  the  teacher 
lives,  and  the  more  he  studies,  the  more  he  will  see  that  his 
work  and  methods  will,  after  all,  be  empirical,  and  that  he 
must  be  ready  to  meet  the  endless  variety  of  defects  and 
requirements  in  the  cases  presented  to  him  with  an  endless 
variety  of  remedies.  Voices  differ  like  faces  ;  no  two  are 
exactly  alike.  Their  beauties  and  their  faults  are  equally 
varied,  and  their  training  will,  within  certain  limits,  require 
a  corresponding  variety  and  versatility. 

One  thing  must  be  maintained  —  the  great  importance  of 
voice-production  to  the  choirtrainer.  Some  teachers,  un- 
successful themselves,  are  in  the  habit  of  decrying  it,  on  the 
ground  that  it  is  sufficient  to  let  the  '  natural '  voice  develop 
*  naturally,'  and  that  anything  further  is  an  interference  with 
nature.  This  sounds  plausible  enough ;  but  it  is  an  argu- 
ment built  upon  the  logical  fallacy  known  as  *  begging  the 
question.'  The  whole  object  of  the  art  of  voice-producing 
is  to  follow  nature ;  the  faults  it  corrects  are  always  those 
caused  by  a  departure  from  the  natural  use.  It  is  the 
wrongly  produced  voice  that  is  unnatural,  and  wrong  habits 
of  voice-using  are  caused  by  the  artificiality  of  our  life,  which 
permeates  all  our  activities,  and  none  more  than  voice-using 
in  the  sounds  of  speech  and  song. 

Voice-production  is  the  art  of  producing  natural  tone, 
which  means  beautiful,  true,  convincing  sound  ;  voice-train- 
ing is  the  art  of  strengthening,  developing  and  enlarging  the 
scope  of  this  sound.  The  two  cannot  be  separated ;  they 
are  always  at  work  simultaneously,  though  they  are,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  different  things,  or  perhaps,  more  accurately, 
different  aspects  of  one  thing. 

For  the  teaching  of  singing  to  children  it  is  in  the  first 
place  essential  that  the  teacher  shall  be  thoroughly  master 
of  his  own  voice.  Without  this  no  progress  can  be  made. 
Long  experience  makes  me  most  strongly  emphasize  this 
point,  in  consequence  of  the  many  instances  that  have  come 


Methods  of  Voice-Production  45 

under  my  notice  of  men  working  and  toiling  to  gain  what 
they  will  never  gain  without  this  one  condition.  If  a  man 
has  not  himself  studied  voice-production  through  the  per- 
sonal medium  of  his  own  voice,  he  will  be  wise  to  lose  no 
time  in  supplying  the  deficiency  by  placing  himself  under  the 
care  of  a  first-rate  master.  It  is  not  even  sufficient  for  a 
choirmaster  to  have  sung  himself  as  a  boy,  for  the  change 
of  the  vocal  organs  at  the  time  of  '  breaking  '  necessitates  to 
a  certain  extent  fresh  training.  I  have  in  mind  the  case  of 
a  man  who  had  been  a  much  admired  solo  boy,  whose 
*  man's '  voice,  without  fresh  training,  became  intolerably 
nasal  and  throaty.  He  himself  was  unaware  of  this  defect, 
considered  that  his  past  experience  rendered  further  study 
superfluous,  and  consequently  never  succeeded  in  producing 
satisfactory  results  from  boys  whom  he  subsequently  taught. 

This  leads  to  another  point.  Boys  learn  far  more  by 
example  than  precept.  In  this  they  differ  in  degree  from 
adults.  It  makes  their  teaching  of  a  different  kind  from 
that  of  their  seniors ;  in  some  ways  it  makes  it  easier,  in 
some  it  increases  the  difficulties.  They  will  learn,  firstly, 
from  what  they  hear  the  teacher  do,  and,  secondly,  from 
listening  to  and  imitating  one  another.  They  will  take  less 
pains  than  adults,  but  they  will  also  be  less  self-conscious. 
They  will  be  slower  to  learn,  but  they  will  retain  more 
easily  what  they  have  once  acquired. 

The  training  of  boys'  voices  will  be  carried  on  by  slow, 
steady,  gradual  growth.  It  requires  very  patient  and  mi- 
nute observation,  and  a  willingness  to  wait  for  results  until 
they  ripen.  The  choirmaster's  work  resembles  that  of  the 
gardener,  who  plants  his  seeds,  gently  bends  each  young 
shoot  into  the  form  it  should  take,  and  leaves  the  growth 
to  nature.  At  the  time  when  the  boy's  voice  is  being  used 
for  singing,  the  body  is  rapidly  growing  and  developing. 
This  causes  interesting  and  surprising  results  with  the  voice. 
A  slight  improvement  one  day,  a  suggestion,  a  touch,  will, 
rightly  directed,  rapidly  bear  fruit,  sometimes  beyond  the 
expectation  of  the  teacher. 

An(^  here  arises  another  consideration.     No  boy  need 


46  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

be  regarded  as  hopeless  material.  The  small,  feeble  voice 
of  the  little  lad  of  eight  or  nine  will,  if  properly  used,  blos- 
som out  into  the  fine  sonorous  organ  of  the  boy  of  thirteen 
or  fourteen.  All  voices  should  receive  equal  attention, 
whether  they  appear  promising  or  not ;  or  perhaps  it  would 
be  better  to  go  further  and  say  that  the  unpromising  ones 
are  those  which  should  receive  the  most  attention. 

Now,  what  are  the  results  sought  for  by  the  study  of 
voice-production  ? 

1.  Clear,  flexible,  pleasant  tone,  throughout  the  whole 

compass  of  the  voice. 

2.  The    sounding    of  every    vowel    with    equal    ease 

throughout  this  range. 

3.  The  ability  to  pass  with  perfect  accuracy  from  one 

sound  to  another. 

4.  The  pronunciation  of  all  consonants  with  distinct- 

ness. 
The  voice  that  is  capable  of  doing  all  this  is  a  perfect 
voice.  The  object  of  the  pages  immediately  following  these 
will  be  to  assist  the  reader  in  forming  such  a  voice.  When 
he  is  able  to  do  this  he  will  have  gained  the  most  beautiful 
and  powerful  musical  instrument  in  the  world.  i 


CHAPTER    II 

TONE    (I) 

The  foundation  of  all  good  tone  is  a  correct 

Method  of  Breathing. 
Speaking    generally,  a    good    breather    will    be  a  good 
singer ;    conversely,  a  false  breather  can  never  be  a  good 
singer. 

Various  methods  of  breathing  are  advocated,  and  much 
confusion  prevails  as  to  what  is  right.  The  following 
directions  will  be  found  of  value  : 

(i)  Breathe  through  the  mouth. 


Tone  (I)  47 

(2)   Breathe  as  deeply  as  possible. 

•  (3)  Aim  at    keeping    the  maximum  of  breath  in  re- 

(  serve,  and  using  the  minimum. 

(4)   Breathe  silently. 

j  (5)   Keep  the  shoulders  still. 

j  (6)   Inhale  breath  by  consciously  expanding  the  ribs, 
)  allowing  the  surrounding  parts  to  remain  per- 

'  J  fectly  easy. 

'  (7)   Exhale  by  drawing  in  the  ribs. 
(8)   Keep  the  body  in  such  a  position  that  the  spine  is 
felt    to   be   slightly   curved   inwards,  while   the 
head  and  shoulders  are  erect. 

The  reader  is  advised  to  avoid  wordy  discussions  of 
rival  methods  of  breathing,  which  only  give  rise  to  uncer- 
tainty in  practice.  The  really  important  thing  to  aim  at  is 
the  power  to  take  in  the  greatest  possible  amount  of  air, 
and  to  retain  it  for  the  longest  possible  time. 

With  regard  to  (i),  it  has  been  shown  that  oral  breathing 
was  used  by  the  old  Italian  school  of  singers,  and  this  being 
the  case  it  should  suffice  for  us.  The  argument  against  it 
is  that  it  may  allow  impurities  of  the  air  to  enter  the  lungs, 
not  to  speak  of  chill.  It  has  not  been  found  in  practice 
that  this  objection  has  as  much  weight  as  might  be  expected. 
The  argument  in  favor  of  it  is  that  the  act  of  oral  breathing 
opens  out  all  the  parts  of  the  throat  which  require  open- 
ing, and  places  them  in  the  most  favourable  position  for 
tone-production. 

With  regard  to  (2),  the  sensation  felt  should  be  that  the 
air  is  penetrating  into  every  part  of  the  lungs,  and  that  not 
a  crevice  is  left  which  might  have  been  utilized.  The  effort 
to  achieve  this  is  trying  at  first,  but  will  become  less  and 
less  so  with  practice,  until  in  time  all  difficulty  disappears. 
A  good  direction  is  to  tell  the  pupil,  each  time  he  takes  a 
breath,  to  try  and  take  more  than  he  has  ever  had  before. 

As  to  (3),  a  large  quantity  of  breath  held  in  reserve  gives 
power  and  grip,  and  enables  a  high  pressure  to  be  exerted 
when  required.  On  the  other  hand,  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  the  less  breath  passed  out  through  the  mouth, 


48  The  Ghoirtrainer  s  Art 

the  better  will  be  the  tone!     Half  the  bad  tone  heard  is 
caused  by  the  passage  of  superfluous  breath. 

No.  4  is  very  important.  It  is  exceptional  to  meet 
with  a  silent  breather  ;  and  yet  it  is  an  easy  thing  to  become, 
and  the  result  most  desirable.  The  objection  to  the  noisy 
inhalation  so  frequently  heard  is  firstly,  and  obviously,  that 
it  is  unpleasant  and  mars  the  beauty  of  singing ;  and 
secondly,  less  obviously,  but  most  important,  that  the  noise 
heard  is  caused  by  friction,  implying  effort  and  waste  of 
power. 

The  direction  of  No.  5  is  very  necessary.  The  drop- 
ping shoulders  during  singing  are  the  cause  of  much  faulty 
tone.  When  this  defect  is  noticed,  the  opposite  plan 
should  be  tried  of  slightly  raising  the  shoulders  during 
singing  and  lowering  them  during  inspiration. 

Nos.  6  and  7  give  in  a  few  words  the  Italian  method  of 
breathing.  The  directions  mean  that  the  initial  impulse 
should  come  from  the  parts  mentioned ;  but  that  all  the 
other  parts  concerned  with  inspiration  should  take  their 
share,  and  work  together  for  the  common  result. 

No.  8  requires  no  explanation. 

The  breath  having  been  taken,  the  next  thing  to  consider 
will  be 

Attack. 

Attack  is  the  word  used  to  denote  the  starting  or 
*  striking '  of  the  sound,  the  starting  of  the  machinery  that 
is  set  in  motion  at  the  moment  of  commencing  to  sing. 

The  importance  of  attack  cannot  be  overstated.  About 
this  the  poet  might  well  have  used  the  word  "  dimidium 
facti,  qui  coepit,  habet  "  (a  thing  begun  is  half  done).  Upon 
this  subject  is  it  difiicult  to  write  with  any  effect,  as  it  is 
emphatically  a  matter  in  which  practical  experience  is  the 
only  sure  guide. 

A  correctly  attacked  note  is  unmistakable  when  heard ; 
incorrect  attack  is  a  fatal  defect. 

Correct  attack  is  present  when  the  emission  of  breath 
and  the  vibration  of  the  vocal  cords  commence  at  one  and 
the  same  instant.     Attack  and  control  of  the  breath  are  in 


Tone  (I)  49 

a  sense  one  and  the  same ;  correct  attack  is  correct  control. 
The  breath  may  be  controlled  without  the  emission  of  vocal 
tone  at  all ;  the  voice  cannot  be  sounded  without  control  of 
the  breath,  either  perfect  or  imperfect. 

The  point  in  the  vocal  organ  where  the  breath  is  con- 
trolled may  be  realized  by  observing  the  sensation  of  whis- 
pering. If  a  vowel  is  whispered  sharply,  with  the  minimum 
expenditure  of  breath,  a  small  explosion  will  be  noticed  in 
the  throat.  This  should  give  a  clear  sound,  resembling  the 
tick  of  a  watch.  When  it  does  not,  there  is  a  defect,  which 
requires  immediate  attention.  To  secure  perfect  attack, 
this  whispered  sound  should  be  made  several  times,  and  then 
the  vocal  tone  started,  the  aim  being  to  produce  the  effect 
of  one  sound  only,  the  two  actions  being  absolutely  simul- 
taneous. The  resulting  sensation  will  be  that  of  a  kind  of 
grip.  The  singer  will  feel  that  he  has  taken  hold  of  the 
note,  instead  of  feeling  that  it  is  flying  away  from  him. 

All  control  of  breath  proceeds  from  one  part,  the  part 
where  the  whispered  sound  is  perceived.  All  power,  beauty 
and  expression  in  singing  depend  upon  control.  It  is  the 
gate  through  which  alone  the  voice-user  can  pass  to  success. 
The  two  matters,  breathing  and  control,  are  interde- 
pendent. It  is  useless  to  acquire  the  power  of  breathing 
deeply  and  in  a  correct  manner  unless  it  is  accompanied  by 
the  power  of  control.  From  failure  to  control  the  breath 
arise  all  the  evils  of  faulty  vocal  tone  —  husky,  nasal,  throaty, 
weak  and  forced  quality.  When  these  appear,  the  master 
may  always  be  sure  that  the  real  seat  of  the  mischief  is  to 
be  found  at  the  breath  controllers,  and  that  each  one  of  them 
may  be  cured  by  correct  attack.  Attack  may  be  likened  to 
the  action  of  the  pianoforte.  The  hammer  strikes  the  wire, 
and  at  the  moment  of  contact  the  wire  commences  to  vibrate 
and  a  musical  tone  is  the  result.  It  could  easily  be  shown 
that  the  stroke  of  the  hammer  separated  from  the  vibration 
of  the  wire  would  cause  a  noise  of  a  quite  unmusical 
character,  but  that  this  is  lost  and  merged  into  the  musical 
sound  when  the  two  occur  simultaneously.  Incorrect  at- 
tack of  the  vocal  organs  gives  an  effect  similar  to  what  would 


5°  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

be  heard  if  the  two  sound-elements  of  the  pianoforte  were 
not  simultaneous — /.  <?.,  if  the  stroke  of  the  hammer  and  the 
initial  vibration  of  the  wire  followed  one  another  at  an  ap- 
preciable interval. 


CHAPTER  III 

TONE    (n) 

The  quality  of  tone  of  all  musical  instruments  depends 
upon  what  is  known  as 

Resonance. 

Without  correct  attack  no  resonance  can  be  secured,  but  res- 
onance itself  is  something  outside  and  beyond  attack.  It 
may  be  stated  that  vocal  tone,  and  indeed  all  musical  tone, 
is  resonance.  This  is  a  point  upon  which  many  voice-users 
and  voice-trainers  have  only  hazy  notions,  and  yet  it  is  one 
of  supreme  importance.  There  is  here  no  space  for  its  full 
discussion,  but  the  reader  is  referred  to  any  standard  work 
on  acoustics,  e.g.^  Helmholtz's  "Sensations  of  Tone." 
The  initial  cause  of  musical  tone  is  usually  something  quite 
small.  In  the  human  voice  it  is  the  vibration  of  the  vocal 
cords,  which,  if  it  were  possible  to  hear  them  alone,  would 
however,  give  merely  a  faint  buzzing  sound.  The  proper 
tone  of  the  voice,  of  which  these  vibrations  are  the  primary 
cause,  arises  from  sympathetic  vibration  of  the  surrounding 
parts,  and  this  is  called  resonance. 

Resonance  is  of  two  kinds,  caused  respectively  by  the 
vibration  of  a  solid  substance  and  by  the  vibration  of  con- 
fined air.  The  tone  of  all  musical  instruments  depends 
on  one  or  the  other  of  these.  With  the  violin  the  wooden 
body  of  the  instrument  gives  the  tone  ;  in  the  flute  the 
column  of  air  enclosed  within  the  tube.  The  human  voice 
owes  its  tone  to  both  these  kinds  of  resonance,  hence  its 


Tone  HI)  51 

satisfying  completeness  as  a  musical  instrument  —  it  is  the 
one  perfect  instrument. 

Of  recent  years  attempts  have  been  made  to  supersede 
the  old-fashioned  names  of  *  chest '  voice,  *  head  '  voice,  etc., 
on  the  ground  that  all  musical  sound  can  be  traced  ulti- 
mately to  the  vocal  cords.  But  this  is  to  overlook  the 
great  principle  of  resonance.  The  names  in  question  are 
not  only  convenient  as  describing  the  sensations  felt  by  the 
singer,  but  they  are  also  scientifically  accurate,  as  correctly 
locating  the  seat  of  the  vocal  tone. 

It  may  be  asserted  that  in  producing  tone  the  whole  of 
the  body  vibrates  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  and  so  far  does 
this  principle  —  that  musical  tone  does  not  leave  anything 
unaffected  with  which  it  comes  in  contact  —  extend,  that  it 
may  further  be  asserted  that  the  tone  is  even  affected  by  the 
substance  upon  which  the  singer  stands,  and  the  size  and 
shape  of  the  place  which  surrounds  him. 

The  main  parts  concerned  in  vocal  resonance  are,  how- 
ever, the  chest,  the  head,  and  the  cavities  of  the  mouth. 
The  first  and  second  give  what  we  may  call  '  solid  '  reso- 
nance ;  the  third,  *  liquid.'  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the 
higher  we  ascend  in  the  scale,  the  higher  is  the  seat  of  reso- 
nance. For  the  low  notes  it  rests  in  the  chest,  for  the  mid- 
dle notes  in  the  mouth,  for  the  high  notes  in  the  head. 

Attack  and  resonance  combined  give  perfect  vocal  tone. 
Resonance  cannot  be  obtained  without  a  true  attack.  The 
two,  though  considered  separately,  cannot  in  practice  be 
parted.  Some  writers  speak  of  '  placing  '  the  voice  ;  that 
means,  securing  the  necessary  resonance  for  each  note. 

The  scientific  explanation  of  the  action  of  the  vocal  or- 
gans is  very  obscure,  and  it  seems  doubtful  whether  the 
matter  will  ever  be  clearly  understood.  But  this  need  not 
disturb  us,  for  all  that  is  really  required  is  that  the  thing 
shall  be  done,  not  that  we  must  wholly  understand  the 
process  of  doing  it. 

Speaking  empirically,  the  way  to  acquire  '  chest '  reso- 
nance is  to  feel  that  the  larynx  is  in  a  low  position,  and  that 
the  seat  of  vibration  is  actually  in  contact  with  the  chest- 
bon^ ;  so  will  a  strong  clear  tone  be  obtained. 


52  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

The  way  to  secure  middle  resonance  for  the  notes  be- 
tween ^^k^^I=L  and  ^=Er£i  ^s  to  feel  that  the  mouth-cavity 

is  'tuned'  for  it  —  that  the  opening  at  the  lips  is  neither 
too  large  nor  too  small.  An  analogy  for  this  is  seen  in  the 
method  of  regulating  a  reed-pipe  in  the  organ.  The  tuning 
to  the  pitch  is  effected  by  lengthening  or  shortening  the 
tongue,  but  resonance  is  secured  by  regulating  the  covering 
of  the  pipe,  which  will  increase  or  diminish  the  volume  of 
tone  in  precisely  the  same  way  as  is  done  in  the  human 
voice,  by  opening  or  closing  the  lips. 

The  head-notes  from  e®-=z=~  upwards  are  obtained  by 

remembering  that  sound  travels  at  right  angles  to  the  vibra- 
ting substance  ;  that  the  increased  tension  upon  the  vocal 
cords  causes  the  larynx  to  become  tilted  ;  and  that,  there- 
fore, to  obtain  the  resonance  right  at  the  top  of  the  skull 
the  head  should  be  drawn  back. 

This  brings  in  the  question  of 
Balance 
—  the  third  consideration  in  this  connection. 

Attack  and  balance  go  together.  Attack  is  concerned 
with  the  commencement  of  the  tone  ;  balance  secures  that 
what  has  been  well  begun  shall  be  well  continued.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  however,  balance  does  not  come  after  attack, 
but  at  the  same  point  of  time.  A  moment's  consideration 
will  show  that  all  the  force  exerted  by  the  outgoing  breath 
upon  the  vocal  cords  is  directed  in  an  upward  and  outward 
line.  This  force  is  automatic.  Directly  the  lungs  are  filled 
they  endeavour  to  empty  themselves,  and  exert  pressure  in 
an  outward  direction.  Tone-vibration  is  caused  by  tension  : 
the  greater  the  tension,  the  more  powerful  the  vibration. 
Tension  arises  from  two  opposing  forces.  In  the  present 
case,  the  one  force  is  that  exerted  by  the  column  of  air  pass- 
ing outwards,  the  other  that  exerted  bv  the  muscles  regula- 
ting its  egress.  The  centre  round  which  these  two  opposing 
forces  meet  is  situated  at  the  vocal  cords.  As  soon  as  they 
approach  closely  the  pressure  from  below  will    tend,  not 


Tone  {ID 


S3 


only  to  make  them  vibrate,  but  also  to  push  upwards  all 
the  surrounding  parts.  This  is  where  balance  comes  in. 
Balance  of  forces  is  another  name  for  what  is  known  as 
equilibrium.  In  the  vocal  organs  the  action  is  to  a  great 
extent  automatic.  But  —  here  is  the  important  considera- 
tion for  the  voice-user  —  the  action  of  the  body  is  governed 
by  the  mind.  Before  any  action  takes  place  there  must  be 
the  intention ;  concentration  of  right  intention  means  suc- 
cess. 

There  will  always  be  some  sort  of  balance,  but  it  may 
be  true  or  false.  True  balance  is  present  when  the  parts 
concerned  remain  in  an  easy  and  comfortable  position,  and 
no  strain  whatever  is  felt.  All  strain  of  the  vocal  organs, 
and  consequent  failure  of  voice,  implies  defective  balance. 
Here,  then,  is  the  point.  Of  the  two  opposing  forces  in 
voice-using,  we  need  not  consider  the  outward  pressure,  for 
that  is  already  automatically  supplied.  We  must  fix  the 
mind  upon  the  idea  of  counteracting  it.  The  thinking  of, 
and  intending  to  do,  this,  will  result  in  the  ability  to  do  it. 
All  that  is  required  is  a  clear  vision  of  what  is  aimed  at, 
then  practice  and  perseverance  until  the  mark  is  hit. 

The  following  diagrams  will  help  to  make  the  meaning 
clear. 

1.  For  the  chest-notes,  the  sensation 
experienced  should  be  that  of  carrying 
the  centre  of  balance  right  down  into  the 
chest.  The  arrows  show  what  may  be 
called  the  line  of  thought. 

2.  Forthemiddlenotes, 
the  sensation  should  be 
that  a  line  is  being  drawn 
from  the  centre  of  the  top 
of  the  head,  and  that  it  is 
being  met  by  the  oppos- 
ing force  from  the  top  of 
the  chest.  The  tone  will 
be  felt  to  centre  itself 
somewhere  about  the  roof 
of  the  mouth. 


54 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


3.  For  the  head-notes,  the  force  appears 
to  come  from  the  back  of  the  head,  at  an 
angle  leaning  to  the  front  of  the  neck. 

It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  convey 
any  adequate  idea  of  all  this  by  the  written 
word.  Personal  experience  is  the  one  and 
only  way  to  gain  knowledge  which  will  en- 
able the  teacher  to  be  of  any  help  to  the 
learner.  But  this  does  not  imply  that  prac- 
tice on  the  part  of  the  teacher  renders  theory 
unnecessary.  The  teacher,  having  acquired 
his  personal  skill,  should  strengthen  it  by 
all  possible  theoretical  knowledge.  In  teaching  he  should, 
however,  keep  this  in  the  background,  never  referring  to  or 
mentioning  it  unless  obliged  to.  There  is  no  advantage  in 
the  pupil's  understanding  the  action  of  the  vocal  organs ; 
indeed,  such  knowledge  might  be  a  positive  drawback. 
The  best  singer  is  unconscious  of  his  mechanism,  just  as  a 
person  in  good  health  is  unconscious  of  the  fact  that  the 
body  has  any  internal  organs  at  all.  The  position  of  the 
voice-trainer  is  like  that  of  the  medical  man.  The  latter 
knows,  or  should  know,  all  that  is  to  be  known  about  the 
structure  and  the  ailments  of  the  body ;  but  to  explain  this 
to  his  patient  would  do  no  good  but  rather  harm,  through 
nervous  worry  and  self-consciousness. 

To  go  into  the  whole  question  of  voice-production 
would  fill  this  volume.  I  have  only  touched  upon  points 
which  are  absolutely  essential  and  which  are  sometimes  more 
than  usually  obscure.  The  reader  should  follow  up  the 
subject  by  a  diligent  study  of  any  of  the  standard  works. 


CHAPTER    IV 


PRACTICAL   DIRECTIONS 

Before  proceeding  to  actual  work,  a  few  more  general 
directions  should  be  considered. 

It  is  necessary  to  know  what  are  the  best  positions  for 
the  body  as  a  whole,  and  for  the  tongue,  lips,  and  jaw  in 
particular ;  the  last  three  being  the  principal  parts  connected 
with  voice-using  which  can  be  moved  at  will. 

It  is  of  importance  that  the  whc 
of  the    body    should    be    kept   in 
loose,  easy  condition, 
cles  should  be  at  rest. 
There  is  only  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  vital 
force    available ;     all 
this  should  be  directed 
upon  the  vocal  organs 
themselves,   none  di- 
verted into  other  channels. 
The  mere  holding  of  the 
hands  tightly  will    have  a 
detrimental  effect  upon  the 
voice,  as  tending  to  cause 
a    sympathetic    tightening 
of  other  parts.     The  po- 
sition of  the  body  should 
be  erect :  the  head  should 
be  exactly  over  the  trunk, 
neither     pushed      forward 
nor  strained  backward ;  the 
poise  level,  as  in  looking 
straight    in    front.       The 
shoulders  should  be  thrown  well  back,  to  allow  for  a  full 
expansion  of  the  chest. 

55 


5^  The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 

The  above  directions  are  very  important,  and  should  al- 
ways be  carefully  observed. 

With  regard  to  the  tongue,  that  *  unruly  member,'  it 
should  be  kept  as  much  as  possible  out  of  the  way.  It 
should  lie  flat  in  the  mouth,  with  the  tip  touching  the  front 
teeth.  Some  people  find  great  difficulty  in  keeping  the 
tongue  in  position  ;  with  others  it  gives  little  trouble.  When 
a  difficult  case  appears  it  should  be  trained  into  submission 
by  a  tongue  exercise. 

The  following  is  generally  effectual.  Put  the  tongue 
out  as  far  as  possible,  then  gradually  draw  it  back  into  the 
mouth,  causing  it  to  press  against  the  lower  teeth  all  the 
time.  When  the  tip  has  reached  the  teeth,  stop,  and  com- 
mence the  action  again.  This  exercise  is  not  particularly 
elegant  and  is  best  practised  in  private,  but  it  is  very  use- 
ful. While  it  is  being  done  the  aim  should  be  to  keep  the 
back  of  the  tongue  down.  This  object  can  be  assisted  by 
deliberately  recalling  the  sensation  of  yawning  ;  which  has 
the  effect  of  opening  out  the  whole  passage  of  the  throat, 
and,  incidentally,  of  lowering  the  root  of  the  tongue. 

During  the  above  actions  great  care  should  be  taken 
that  no  stiffening  appears.  The  parts  should  be  led  into 
position,  not  driven.  Stiffening  will  entirely  defeat  the 
whole  object  of  the  process,  and  unless  it  can  be  avoided  it 
is  better  to  postpone  the  exercise. 

With  regard  to  the  low  position  of  the  tongue,  it  will 
be  seen  later  that  this  must  be  modified  for  certain  vowels. 

This  fact  does  not,  however,  affect  the  general  rule  as  to 
the  low  position,  which  holds  good  all  through,  only  under 
varying  conditions. 

The  position  of  the  lips  varies  according  to  the  vowel- 
sound,  but  a  general  direction  that  they  should  be  kept 
apart  is  always  helpful.  Error  is  more  common  in  the  way 
of  insufficient  opening  than  the  contrary. 

It  is  important  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  jaws. 
The  lower  one  should  be  allowed,  so  to  speak,  to  drop  open; 
it  should  not  be  held  open  by  force,  but  simply  permitted 
to  remain  in  that  position,  quiescent.     Jaw  stiffening  is  a 


Practical  Directions  57 

frequent  cause  of  vocal  failure,  and  should  be  constantly 
guarded  against. 

The  compass  of  boys'  voices  may  here  be  considered. 
This  is  usually  very  great  in  both  directions.  With 
properly  produced  voices  notes  can  frequently  be  taken 
from  _ 


as  high  as 


or  even  to 


The  highest  notes  are  sometimes  easily  taken  by  a 
young  boy  who,  as  he  grows  older,  will  gradually  lose  them  ; 
the  development  of  the  middle  notes  taking  away  from  the 
extremes. 

The  voice  throughout  the  whole  compass  should  sound 
like  one  clear,  even,  continuous  instrument.  There  should 
be  no  break  or  change  heard  anywhere.  This  brings  in  the 
question  of  registers — a  question  which  has  given  much 
heartsearching  to  theorists,  and  caused  widespread  misun- 
derstanding. Of  course,  there  are  such  things  as  registers, 
but  the  voice-trainer's  aim  should  be  to  cover  them  up,  not 
to  make  them  evident. 

It  might  be  supposed,  by  reading  much  that  has  been 
written  upon  the  subject,  that  the  voice  divided  itself  into 
three  (or  more)  parts,  which  should  be  distinctly  and 
separately  trained ;  and  that  a  *  break '  occurred  at  certain 
fixed  points,  which  was  more  or  less  evident  in  different 
voices. 

A  better  way  is  to  think  of  the  various  registers  as 
methods  of  resonance  (which  have  been  already  described). 
There  should  be  no  *  break  '  at  any  point  in  the  voice.  The 
registers  should  shade  off  and  merge  into  one  another  so 
that  it  becomes  impossible  to  say  when  one  commences 
and  another  ends. 

The  starting-point  should  be  the  middle  of  the  voice 
with  the  middle  resonance.  This  is  sometimes  termed 
'mixed  voice' — a  name  which  is  misleading.  In  a  man's 
voice  it  centres  round  the  note  called  middle  C;  for  a 
soprarto,  round  the  third  space  in  the  treble  clef     Above  this 


5^  The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 


note,  the  resonance  will  gradually  shade  off  into  the  *  head  ' 
quality  :  below,  into  the  '  chest ';  thus  : 

Chest      Middle       Head 


i 


As  will  now  be  clear,  the  written  notes  of  the  diagram 
are  to  be  taken  only  as  approximate  guides,  not  as  fixed 
points.  The  trainer,  then,  will  do  well  to  keep  the  word 
*  register '  to  himself.  What  he  requires  from  the  learner  is 
good  tone,  and  this  is  best  secured  by  putting  aside  all  idea 
of  breaks  and  divisions.  The  registers  will  settle  them- 
selves :  they  require  no  assistance. 


CHAPTER   V 

VOWEL-QUALITY 

One  of  its  most  striking  features,  which  differentiates  the 
human  voice  from  all  other  instruments,  is  the  power  of 
varying  every  note  by  what  is  known  as  vowel-quality. 
Not  only  can  every  possible  pitch  be  taken  within  the  com- 
pass of  the  voice,  but  each  note,  when  taken,  can  be  changed 
in  *  colour'  in  an  endless  number  of  ways. 

We  have  seen  that  on  securing  full  resonance  by  correct 
attack  and  balance,  we  have  been  able  to  produce  a  true 
note.  The  question  then  follows  :  To  what  vowel  is  it  to 
be  sung  ? 

First,  it  must  be  seen  what  a  vowel  is,  and  how  many 
vowels  are  in  use. 

'  Vowel '  is  the  name  denoting  the  peculiar  quality  of 
sound  given  to  the  vocal  tone  by  the  position  and  shape  of 
the  cavities  through  which  it  passes.  This  quality  can  be 
varied  by  changing  the  positions  of  the  tongue  and  lips. 

The  number  of  varieties  in  the  English  language  is  thir- 
teen. These  thirteen  represent  distinctly  recognized  qual- 
ities ;  each  one  is  capable  of  further  modification  and  vari- 
ation. 


Vowel-^ality  59 

The  sound  *  Ah  '  is  called  the  normal  vowel.  It  is  pro- 
duced by  allowing  the  tongue  to  rest  in  its  lowest  position, 
and  keeping  the  lips  far  apart. 

Modifications  of  this  sound  are  made  in  two  directions : 
(i)  By  closing  the  lips,  resulting  in  the  confining  of  more 
air.  (2)  By  raising  the  middle  of  the  tongue,  and  thus 
confining  less  air.  In  the  one  direction  the  tone  wUl  be- 
come gradually  rounder  —  which  quality  may  be  compared 
with  that  of  the  flute  among  instruments ;  in  the  other 
direction  it  will  become  thinner,  and  may  be  compared  with 
reedy  tone,  like  that  of  the  oboe. 

Starting  from  *  Ah  '  as  a  centre,  by  closing  the  lips  we 
get  these  three  new  sounds  : 

Ah  — Aw  — O  — 00. 

Starting  again  from  *  Ah,'  and  raising  the  tongue,  the 
following  sounds  appear  : 

Ah— Er  — A  — E. 

The  whole  series  will  then  become 


00 


o 


e 


O  S^ 


The  above  diagram  shows  the  varying  position  of  lips 
and  tongue  for  the  different  vowels. 

These  are  the  long  vowels.  There  are  six  others 
which  in  speech  are  always  short,  as  follows : 

06  6  a  u  e  1 

(book)     (bond)      (bat)        (bud)       (bed)       (bit) 

the  words  below  are  added  to  facilitate  the  identification  of 
each  sound. 

All  the  foregoing  are  simple  vowels.  By  combining 
two  we  acquire  compound  vowels,  which  are  sometimes  sup- 
posed by  the  uninitiated  to  represent  new  sounds. 


6o  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

Ah  terminating  with  a  touch  of  i  produces  I  (high). 
Aw  terminating  with  a  touch  of  i  produces  OI  (boy). 
Ah  terminating  with  a  touch  of  06  produces  OU  (thou). 
00  preceded  by  a  touch  of  1  produces  U  (you). 

The  compounds,  and  indeed  all  vowel-sounds,  appear 
in  our  language  with  a  great  variety  of  spelling.  With  this 
we  are  not  concerned ;  our  subject  is  the  sound. 

To  produce  the  best  resonance  for  each  vowel  it  is 
necessary  to  start  with  *  Ah.'  Then  try  the  three  new 
sounds  on  the  one  side,  and  afterwards  on  the  other,  thus  :  — 
Ah  — Aw  — O  — 00. 

Here  make  sure  that  the  best  tone  has  been  secured  for 
Ah ;  then  change  it  quietly  to  the  other  three  in  the  order 
given.  Aim  at  producing  as  little  disturbance  as  possible. 
The  lips  will  close :  they  will  do  that  involuntarily.  The 
tone  can  generally  be  improved  by  endeavouring  to  mini- 
mize the  amount  of  closure. 

'  Aw '  should  be  a  fine,  round,  full  sound,  with  a  sug- 
gestion of  grandeur  about  it. 

*  O  '  should  be  large  and  round.  It  is  often  too  small, 
and,  in  the  English  language,  it  has  a  distinct  attraction  to 
*  00,*  frequently  vanishing  on  the  latter  sound,  and  thus 
furnishing  another  compound  vowel.  This  peculiarity  does 
not  occur  in  Italian ;  and  in  English  it  should  be  mini- 
mized as  far  as  possible. 

*■  00  *  frequently  causes  trouble,  especially  for  low 
notes.  It  ought  to  be  opened  out  and  sung  with  the  teeth 
parted. 

The  other  series.  Ah  —  Er  —  A —  E,  will  next  be  con- 
sidered. 

Again,  the  best  tone  for  *  Ah '  will  be  secured ;  this  may 
then  be  changed  to  the  other  three,  by  allowing  the  tongue 
to  rise  gradually  in  the  centre.  Here  the  secret  of  good  pro- 
duction is  to  take  care  that,  though  the  middle  of  the  tongue 
rises,  the  front  and  the  back  shall  yet  be  kept  down.  Much 
of  the  difficulty  with  these  vowels  is  caused  by  ignorance  of 
this  rule. 


Vowel-Duality  6i 


*  Er '  will  give  little  trouble  as  a  rule.  The  position  will 
vary  only  slightly  from  '  Ah  ' ;  the  tone  should  be  broad  and 
deep. 

*  A '  is  often  very  unsatisfactory.  The  tongue  will  re- 
quire keeping  as  low  as  possible  without  losing  the  vowel, 
and  should  Mean  '  in  the  direction  of  *  Er.'  *  A  '  will  often 
be  pronounced  as  a  compound  vowel,  thus  :  —  A  —  i,  in  a 
similar  manner  to  '  O.'  What  was  said  of  that  vowel  ap- 
plies to  this  ;  the  pure  tone  of  the  *  A  '  should  be  carefully 
preserved. 

'  E  *  often  gives  trouble,  but  it  can  be  easily  cured.  The 
secret  of  producing  a  good  *  E  *  is  to  keep  the  tip  of  the 
tongue  very  low.  It  should  be  curved  down  in  the  front 
far  enough  to  reach  the  gums.  The  back  of  the  throat 
should  also  be  kept  open  and  loose ;  the  result  will  then  be 
that  this  vowel,  often  sounding  so  far  from  satisfactory,  will 
become  one  of  the  most  pleasing. 

The  six  short  vowels  are  produced  in  a  similar  way  to 
the  long  ones,  and  will  give  no  further  trouble.  They  are 
generally  easier  to  produce  than  the  latter,  and,  though 
properly  all  short  sounds,  are  in  singing  frequently  used  for 
long  notes. 

The  compound  vowels  need  careful  attention  with  the 
beginner.  The  point  to  remember  is  that  all  the  tone  of 
the  musical  note  must  be  given  to  the  accented  part  of  the 
vowel;  the  unaccented  part  must  be  pronounced  as  briefly 
as  possible.  Neglect  of  this  rule  is  common  with  untrained 
singers,  and  the  consequence  is  a  most  disagreeable  effect. 
However  long  the  musical  passage,  and  however  many  notes 
it  contains,  the  rule  is  unvarying,  e.  g.,  the  vowel  '  I,'  sung 
to  the  following  passage,  will  be  rendered  : 


This  compound  vowel  effect  appears  in  another  case, 
which  should  now  be  considered.  The  vowel  *  u  '  frequently 
terminates  words  in  which  it  is  represented  by  the  letter  '  r.' 


62  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

The  teacher  should  be  quite  clear  as  to  the  treatment  of  these 
cases.  The  sound  in  question  is  called  the  *  vocal  r.'  It 
may  be  used  as  a  termination  following  any  vowel.  In  our 
language  it  follows  a  limited  number.     Instances  are  '  hear/ 

*  fear,'  '  dear,'  *  poor,'  *  oar,'  *  hair,'  *  hire,'  '  your,'  *  our.' 
The  rule  for  the  rendering  of  all  such  combinations  is  that 
the  vocal  '  r '  should  be  sounded  simply  as  a  vowel  when 
the  word  stands  at  the  end  of  a  sentence,  or  when  it  is  fol- 
lowed by  a  word  commencing  with  a  consonant ;  when  fol- 
lowed by  another  vowel,  the  *  roll  '  of  the  consonant  *  r ' 
should  be  supplied.     Compare  (i)   (consonant  following) 

*  dear  heart ';  (2)  (  vowel  following  )  *  dear  art !' 


CHAPTER   VI 
THE  CONSONANTS 

In  logical  sequence  of  thought  our  next  consideration 
will  be  the  consonants ;  though  for  practical  voice-training 
they  will  not  be  required  until  later. 

Vowels  and  consonants  together  make  words.  It  is 
necessary  for  the  voice-trainer  to  have  a  complete  know- 
ledge of  all  speech-sounds,  though  much  of  this  knowledge 
he  will  wisely  keep  in  the  background.  Vowels,  as  already 
seen,  are  the  musical  sounds  of  the  voice ;  consonants  are 
noises. 

The  following  definition  is  useful :  Consonants  are 
noises  of  a  definite  character,  caused  by  complete  or  partial 
stoppage  of  outgoing  breath,  by  the  lips  and  by  the  tongue. 

As  will  be  seen,  some  consonants  are  less  noisy  and 
more  musical  than  others  ;  and  there  is  a  border-line  near 
which  it  is  hard  to  decide  whether  a  sound  is  actually  a 
vowel  or  a  consonant.  This  will  become  clearer  as  we 
proceed. 

The  following  consonants  are  produced  by  complete 
stoppage,  resulting  in  an  explosion  ;  and  they  are  called 
*  explosives.' 


The  Consonants  63 


Stoppage  at  the  lips 
Stoppage  at  the  teeth 
Stoppage  at  the  front  of  palate 
Stoppage  at  the  middle  of  palate 
Stoppage  at  the  back  of  palate 


*  P  '  and  *  b  ' 

*  T  '  and  M  ' 
^CH'and^j' 
(none) 
'K'and'g'(hard) 


The  following  are  produced  by  partial  stoppage,  re- 
sulting in  hissing,  buzzing,  etc. 

Stoppage  at  the  lips      .      .     .      .  *  F  *  and  *  v  ' 
Stoppage  at  the  teeth   .      .     .      . 'TH' and' th' (soft) 
Stoppage  at  the  front  of  palate     .  '  S '  and  '  z  ' 
Stoppage  at  the  middle  of  palate  .  ' SH '  and  *sh' (soft) 
Stoppage  at  the  back  of  palate  .   .  ('  CH,'  as  used  in 
Scotch,  Welsh,  German,  etc.) 

The  above  are  the  true  consonants  —  pure  noises,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  semi-vocal  sounds.  It  will  be  noted  that 
they  fall  into  pairs,  a  hard  and  a  soft,  just  like  the  vowels 
with  a  long  and  a  short. 

The  table  given  shows  at  a  glance  exactly  what  the 
consonants  are,  and  how  many  have  to  be  considered. 
They  will  be  very  easily  remembered  in  this  scientific  order. 
In  studying  the  pairs  —  hard  and  soft  —  it  will  be  noticed 
that  the  difference  lies  in  the  point  of  time  at  which  the  sub- 
sequent vowel  starts.  With  the  soft  consonants  the  vowel- 
sound  starts  earlier  than  with  the  hard,  in  fact  the  two,  the 
vowel  and  the  consonant,  appear  to  coincide  ;  with  the  hard 
consonants  the  one  follows  the  other. 

The  next  series  of  consonants  is  formed  by  sustaining 
vocal  tone,  but  with  the  parts  in  such  a  position  as  to 
smother  and  cloud  the  vowel-quality. 

There  are  the  nasal  sounds,  with  which  the  mouth  is 
completely  blocked  up,  and  all  escaping  breath  passes 
through  the  nose  : 

Stoppage  at  the  lips  .  .  .  .  '  M  ' 
Stoppage  at  the  front  of  palate  .  *  N  ' 
Stoppage  at  the  back  of  palate      .     '  NG  ' 


^4  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

Then  there  is  the  oral  sound  of 

for  which  the  mouth  is  almost  completely  blocked  up  by 
the  tongue  ;  and  with  this  may  be  classified  the  vibration 
or  tremolo  sound  of 

caused  by  rapid  movement  of  the  tongue,  and  analogous 
to  the  tremolo  of  certain  instruments,  or  the  *  roll '  of  the 
drum. 

Finally,  there  are  the  two  sounds  of 
'  Y '  and  *  W 
which    can    hardly    be    called    consonants    at    all,  and  yet 
would  be  improperly  classified  as  vowels. 

They  are  rendered  by  jerking  out  "of  the  mouth  the 
sound  of  *  E  '  and  '  OO  '  for  an  instant  of  time,  making  the 
sound  so  short  that  it  cannot  be  distinguished  as  a  vowel 
at  all. 

Compare  T — ard  and  yard 
Compare  oo — ord  and  ward 

One  sound  remains  to  be  noticed,  the  aspirate 

'H' 
It  is,  properly  speaking,  neither  a  vowel  nor  a  consonant, 
though  for  purposes  of  study  it  must  be  included  among 
the  consonants.  It  was  more  accurately  classified  in  Greek 
as  a  *  hard  breathing,'  and  so  indicated  in  the  spelling.  It 
consists,  of  course,  of  an  escape  of  breath  preceding  a  vowel, 
passing  right  through  the  mouth  uncontrolled  by  any  part. 

Study  of  the  enunciation  of  consonants  should  be  de- 
ferred until  after  good  vowel-tone  has  been  acquired ;  th?n 
it  should  be  pursued  with  care  and  diligence. 

Much  otherwise  good  singing  is  spoilt  by  inattention  to 
consonants,  and  the  amount  of  error  in  this  direction  is 
quite  distressing.  Educated  persons  would  be  horrified  at 
the  thought  of  dropping  an  '  h,'  but  they  will  drop  numbers 
of  other  consonants  as  a  constant  habit  with  perfect  equa- 
nimity. This  sort  of  thing  should  never  be  tolerated  in 
church  music,  savouring  as  it  does  of  carelessness  and 
familiarity. 


The  Consonants  65 

The  correction  of  error  in  the  English  language  is,  how- 
ever, a  difficult  and  delicate  thing ;  for  the  spelling  differs 
so  widely  from  the  sound  that  it  sometimes  needs  expert 
knowledge  to  decide  what  sound  is  required  for  a  given 
word.  For  instance,  many  people  will  be  in  doubt  as  to  the 
right  pronunciation  of  *  sacrament,'  *  righteous,'  *  Pontius,* 
etc.;  and  every  day  educated  people  may  be  heard  wrongly 
pronouncing  these  words. 

The  right  plan  to  observe  is,  first,  to  ascertain  the  cor- 
rect pronunciation  of  a  word  (/.^.,  the  received  pronunci- 
ation as  used  by  the  majority  of  present-day  educated 
people),  and  then  to  insist  that  every  sound  shall  be  care- 
fully enunciated.  When  minutely  watched,  it  will  be  found 
that  many  words  are  mispronounced  by  choirs  as  a  habitual 
practice.  For  instance,  in  the  General  Confession,  the  very 
first  sentence  will  frequently  contain  these  mistakes  : —  and 
will  become  an  ;  most  will  become  mos\  merciful  will  be- 
come mercifu\  and  so  on  all  through.  Of  this  there  will  be 
more  to  say  in  another  chapter. 

To  acquire  good  consonant  pronunciation  the  explosives 
should  be  diligently  practised.  If  they  are  properly  at- 
tended to,  the  others  will  follow.  The  chief  difficulty  occurs 
when  two  of  the  same  nature  are  sounded  together ;  e.g.^ 
*  not  to,'  *  and  to.'  The  usual,  and  incorrect,  rendering  is 
to  omit  one  of  the  pair.  To  obviate  this  error  the  explo- 
sives should  be  practised  singly,  then  in  groups,  thus  : 

p  -  t  —  ch  —  k. 
p,  p  —  t,  t  —  ch,  ch  —  k,  k. 
p,  p,  p  —  t,  t,  t  —  ch,  ch,  ch   —  k,  k,  k. 
p,  p,  P)  p  —  t,  t,  t,  t  —  ch,  ch,  ch,  ch  —  k,  k,  k, 
k,  etc. 

It  will,  of  course,  be  understood  that  the  above  letters 
are  intended  to  represent  the  consonant  only  —  not  its  name. 
Thus  '  p  '  is  sounded  merely  with  an  explosion  of  the  lips 
and  no  vowel-sound  —  not  as  *  pee.' 

Sometimes  combinations  of  two,  three,  or  more  different 
consonants  occur.     In  these  cases  every  element  should  be 


^^  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

distinctly  heard  ;  e.g.y  *  lost  sheep.*  Here  we  may  analyze 
by  trying  *  s,'  '  t,'  *  sh,'  separately,  and  then  note  the  effect 
in  combination. 

The  liquids  '  L,'  '  M/  '  N,'  '  NG,'  require  care.  It  is 
possible  to  prolong  them  to  any  extent,  but  it  is  wrong. 
While  perfectly  distinct,  they  should  be  short. 

The  same  remark  applies  to  the  sibilant,  '  S.'  The 
effect  of  prolongation  here  is  still  worse  than  with  the 
liquids,  but  for  this  reason  such  a  mistake  is  less  likely  to 
occur.  Sound  it  quite  shortly ;  and,  in  a  chorus,  take 
every  care  that  all  the  singers  do  so  at  the  same  time. 

The  aspirate,  giving  so  much  unaccountable  trouble  to 
the  uneducated,  is  the  bete  noir  of  the  voice-user.  A  ref- 
erence to  the  theory  of  attack  (p.  48  )  will  show  why  this 
is  so.  True  attack  precludes  all  idea  of  breath-escape ; 
the  sounding  of  the  aspirate  involves  an  escape ;  there- 
fore, there  is  nothing  so  detrimental  to  the  development 
of  good  tone.  The  Italian  language  contains  no  aspirates, 
and  this  is  one  reason  why  it  is  so  well  adapted  for  singing. 
This  trouble  of  the  aspirate  should  be  understood  by  the 
teacher,  though  the  learner  need  not  know  of  it.  In  spite 
of  the  difficulty  here  pointed  out,  it  is  possible  for  the 
skilled  voice-user  to  get  good  tone  with  the  aspirate.  This 
will  be  secured  by  developing  the  vowel-tone  so  firmly 
without  the  aspirate,  that,  on  its  introduction,  any  evil 
influence  can  be  successfully  resisted. 


CHAPTER    VII 
FIRST   STEPS   FOR  BOYS 


In  taking  in  hand  a  class  of  boys,  the  first  thing  to  teach 
them  is  the  production  of  pure  tone ;  and  for  this  purpose 
only  vowel-sounds  should,  in  the  early  stages,  be  practised. 

The  voice  should  be  exercised  regularly  and  systemati- 
cally, in  order  to  achieve  its  full  possibilities,  just  as  other 


First  Steps  for  Boys  67 

parts  of  the  body  are  exercised  to  preserve  health  and 
strength.  It  is  of  no  use  for  the  teacher  merely  to  show, 
though  never  so  ^clearly,  how  the  thing  is  to  be  done ;  it  is 
necessary  that  he  shall  see  it  through,  and  that  not  occa- 
sionally, but  repeatedly  and  constantly. 

Some  leading  principles  may  well  be  called  to  mind  here. 
One  is  the  law  of  the  foundation  of  habit.  This  comes 
within  the  great  universal  tendency  of  nature  known  as  the 
Law  of  Inertia.  Any  motion  once  started  in  any  direction 
will  continue  for  ever  unless  stopped  by  some  superior  force  ; 
i.e.y  ceteris  paribus^  nature,  including  human  nature,  elects 
to  continue  what  it  once  begins.  This  applies  to  the  mo- 
tions of  both  the  body  and  the  mind.  An  action,  whether 
mental  or  physical,  is  always  easier  the  second  time  than 
the  first ;  and  the  more  frequently  it  is  performed  the  less 
will  be  the  effort  required  to  do  it. 

The  two  old  laws  of  Logic,  seemingly  so  simple  and  ob- 
vious, in  practice  so  seldom  understood,  will  be  helpful  to 
the  choirmaster : 

I.   Nothing  happens  without  a  cause. 

1.  The  same  cause  always  produces  the  same  effect. 

These  mean  that,  in  reality,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  an 
accident.  There  is  always  a  complete  explanation  for  ev- 
erything that  happens,  though  we  do  not  always  know  what 
it  is — a  very  different  matter. 

It  is  the  teacher's  part  to  supply  the  cause;  the  effect 
will  follow.  And  it  is  his  part  to  believe  that  the  right 
cause  will  always  produce  the  right  effect,  though  it  may  be 
unseen  at  first,  and  tarry  long. 

Another  thought  for  the  teacher  is  that  by  a  law  of  na- 
ture nothing  is  ever  wasted.  Great  results  are  always  made 
up  of  a  combination  of  small  causes.  This  will  lead  him 
to  take  infinite  pains,  remembering  that  every  action,  and 
every  word,  will  have  some  effect,  for  either  good  or  evil ; 
for  nothing  stands  still.  It  will  lead  him  to  regard  his 
work  as  an  edifice  that  has  to  be  built,  but  that  can  never 
be  finisl^ed  until  each  separate  stone  has  been  laid  in  its 


68  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

own  place.  All  that  the  teacher  puts  in  will  come  back  to 
him,  in  some  form  or  another. 

Now,  as  to  the  boys,  they  are  lightrhearted,  volatile, 
and  often  indolent.  They  have  to  do  hard  work.  How 
can  they  be  induced  to  do  it?  Success  will  depend  upon 
the  method  of  teaching.  The  work  should  be  made  inter- 
esting and  attractive ;  and  this  can  be  done  by  change  and 
variety.  To  rivet  the  attention  of  little  boys  it  is  a  great 
help  to  have  no  two  practices  exactly  alike.  They  should 
never  know  what  is  coming  next,  but  should  always  be  on 
the  alert.  They  should  be  allowed  to  help  themselves, 
and  to  help  one  another. 

It  may  be  of  assistance  to  describe  my  own  method  of 
work  with  little  boys. 

I  make  the  practice-hour  into  a  kind  of  orderly  game, 
in  which  every  boy  has  his  own  part  to  play.  Each  has  an 
opportunity  to  sing  alone,  and  the  whole  thing  becomes  a 
kind  of  continuous  competition.  As  to  the  order  of  pro- 
ceedings, I  let  the  boys  suggest  what  we  shall  have  next, 
and  they  show  in  an  amusing  and  interesting  way  what 
their  views  as  to  voice-training  are.  Certain  boys  have  of- 
ficial titles.  The  best  breathers  are  placed  in  the  first  row, 
and  they  are  called  the  *  Champions.'  There  is  always 
keen  competition  to  enter  their  ranks,  and  this  ensures  that 
breathing  shall  be  a  first  consideration.  Then  there  are  of- 
ficials such  as  the  *  Commander  of  the  Corks  '  (who  distrib- 
utes and  collects  these  implements  before  and  after  the 
practice),  the  *  Commander  of  the  Tongues '  (whose  duty 
is  to  go  along  the  rows  and  see  whether  all  the  tongues  are 
properly  arranged),  the  *  Commander  of  the  Shoulders ' 
(who  sees  that  every  one  stands  up  straight),  the  '  Beating 
Master '  (who  keeps  a  vigilant  eye  to  see  that  every  right 
haad  beats  time).  Then,  if  things  seem  to  be  getting  a 
little  dull,  we  have,  by  way  of  change,  a  competition  be- 
tween boys  belonging  to  various  schools.  Another  source 
of  amusement  is  for  all  the  boys  wearing  spectacles  to  sing 
together ;  or,  again,  to  take  the  names  in  alphabetical  order. 
These  last  are,  without  doubt,  frivolous  ;  but,  if  they  keep 


First  Steps  for  Boys  ^9 

the  boys  cheerful  and  happy,  the  end  is  gained.  The  free 
criticism  of  one  another's  singing  has  excellent  effect.  A 
little  friendly  sarcasm  from  their  companions  keeps  boys  up 
to  the  mark  far  better  than  reproof  from  the  teacher ;  and, 
once  more,  it  makes  them  feel  that  the  whole  thing  is  their 
own  —  a  most  important  point. 

The  answers  to  the  question  '  What  is  wrong  with  that  ?' 
when  a  small  boy  has  sung  alone,  are  often  distinctly  amus- 
ing. For  instance  —  'Please  Sir,  squeaky';  *  He's  hold- 
ing his  head  like  a  chicken  ';  *  He  sounds  like  a  fog-horn '; 
or  *  He's  got  it  through  the  nose.'  These  are  exceptional. 
The  regular  answers  are  of  course  *  flat,'  *  sharp,'  *  husky,' 

*  throaty,'  etc. 

Various  competitions  are  frequently  held,  and  prizes 
given  to  'the  best  breather'  {i.e.y  the  head  'Champion'), 

*  the  best  stander '  (referring  to  the  position  of  the  body), 

*  the  best  starter '  (the  one  who  has  acquired  the  most  cor- 
rect attack),  etc.  The  prizes  are  often  contributed  by  the 
boys  themselves,  and  consist  of  the  usual  articles  dear  to 
to  the  heart  of  a  lad,  such  as  pencils,  penknives,  etc.  The 
prize  winner  is  chosen  by  vote  of  the  boys  themselves,  who 
make  excellent  and  impartial  critics  upon  the  necessary 
points. 


CHAPTER    VIII 

FIRST  STEPS  FOR  BOYS     (Continued) 

Now  for  the  production  of  pure  vowel-tone,  first  of  all 
in  slow,  separate  notes,  afterwards  in  rapid  passages. 
The  first  thing  is  the  breathing.      Here  is 

Exercise    i 

Open  the  mouth  wide,  letting  the  chin  hang  loosely. 
Take  breath  deliberately  and  silently,  through  the 
mouth  ;  filling  every  part  of  the  lungs.     Close  the 


7°  The   Choirtrainers  Art 

mouth  tightly,  and  drive  the  breath  through  the  lips, 
only  allowing  it  to  pass  very  slowly. — Repeat  the  ex- 
ercise six  times. 

This  exercise  has  to  be  practised  at  home  by  each  boy 
every  day.  To  insure  that  it  is  done  I  have  a  paper  form, 
with  a  space  for  every  day  to  be  filled  in  with  the  signature 
of  a  parent  as  a  guarantee  that  the  directions  have  been 
carried  out.  A  form  convenient  for  this  purpose  will  be 
found  on  the  opposite  page. 

The  capacity  of  the  lungs  of  each  boy  is  tested  with  a 
spirometer  on  a  certain  day,  and  an  entry  made  against  his 
name.  Three  months  later  it  is  again  tested,  he  having 
practised  meanwhile  the  breathing-exercises  above  described. 
The  one  whose  lung-capacity  shows  the  greatest  increase 
during  the  time  receives  a  prize.  The  interest  and  emula- 
tion arising  from  this  process  have  the  most  beneficial  effect 
upon  the  singing. 

Exercise    2 

This  is  a  breathing-exercise  to  be  performed  in  public, 
with  vocal  tone. 

The  boys  are  all  standing  in  a  row  before  me,  an 
assistant  is  at  the  pianoforte,  and  I  am  ready  with  the 
baton.     The  following  notes  are  then  played: 


I  point  to  seven  boys,  one  after  the  other ;  each  boy 
starts  singing  the  note  that  is  being  sounded  when 
his  turn  comes,  and  continues  it  as  long  as  possible. 
The  seven  go  on  together,  and  when  exhausted,  drop 
off  one  by  one.  The  last  survivor  is  regarded  as  the 
winner,  and  goes  to  the  top  of  the  class.  The  process 
then  commences  again,  this  time  with  the  second  boy, 
and  continues  until  all  have  had  a  turn. 


First  Steps  for   Boys 


71 


^outf)tDark  Cattebral 


Each  Boy  is  required  to  practise  Breathing- Exercises,  as  directed, 

during  the  months  of. , 

.The  spaces  after  each  date  should  be  filled  in  with  the 


Initials  of  a  Parent,  as  a  guarantee  that  the  Exercises  have  been  practised, 
and  the  paper  must  be  shown  to  Dr.  Richardson  once  a  week.  Any  Boy 
failing  to  fulfil  these  Conditions  will  be  fined 


I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

«3 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

3> 

I  certify  that  the  above  is  a 

correct  record. 

Parent 

Name  of  Boy_ 


72 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


The  great  advantage  of  this  exercise  Hes  in  the  power 
gained  of  taking  and  retaining  deep  breaths.  The  method 
of  breathing  can  be  watched  and  easily  guided.  The  im- 
portant rule  is  to  forbid  the  movement  of  the  shoulders ; 
little  else  need  be  mentioned  with  boys. 

Exercise  3. — For  Attack 
A  single  note  may  be  repeated  seven  times,  thus : 


f 


^^ 


:4=t= 


tff*:: 


etc. 


This  should  be  taken  on  rising  semitones,  as  far  as 
To  gain  correct  attack,  tell  the  boys  to  imitate  the 
sound  of  the  pianoforte,  or,  better  still,  the  choir- 


master's voice ;  or,  when  one  boy  becomes  more  proficient 
than  others,  his  voice  may  serve  as  the  model.  The  aim 
should  be  to  hit  the  note  *  right  in  the  centre,'  without  any 
accompanying  noise. 

Exercise  4. — For  Resonance 


JWt: 


00— Ah— O  0_  Ah— 00— Ah— GO. 


Repeat  a  semitone  higher  each  time,  as   high  as 
This,  when  properly  used,  is  a  most  valuable  exer- 


cise 


The  lips  will  be  almost  closed  for  *  OO,'  and  should 
be  opened  out  wide  for  *  Ah,'  thus : 


First  Steps  for  Boys 


73 


Since  the  lips  pass  over  the  whole  space,  the  best  resonance 
position  must  be  touched.  The  sound  of  '  OO  '  secures 
what  is  known  as  ^  forward '  tone,  and  attracts  the  *  Ah  ' 
sound  (which  is  usually  backward  and  dead)  to  itself.  I 
feel  it  is  due  to  my  friend  Sir  George  Martin  to  mention 
that  it  was  through  him  that  my  attention  was  first  called, 
some  twenty  years  ago,  to  the  value  of  the  above  study. 
However,  an  important  warning  is  necessary.  The  great 
utility  of  this  exercise  has  so  struck  some  teachers  that  they 
have  gone  too  far,  and  apparently  pinned  all  their  faith 
upon  it.  It  is  only  a  bridge.  To  establish  a  continuous 
*  OO  '  colouring  for  all  vowels  is  an  unpardonable  error, 
and  must  be  carefully  avoided.  The  use  of  *  OO  '  in  the 
above  exercise  should  be  regarded  as  a  means  to  an  end. 
As  has  been  aptly  said,  it  represents  '  scaffolding,'  which, 
while  essential  in  the  early  stages  of  the  building,  must  be 
discarded  entirely  before  the  edifice  is  ready  to  be  seen  and 
admired. 

This  last  exercise,  and  many  oth- 
ers, can  with  advantage  be  practised 
with  the  small  cork  (already  referred 
to)  placed  between  the  teeth.  It 
should  be  lightly  held,  without  any 
pressure  at  all,  and  not  used  continu- 
ously, but  as  an  occasional  test  of  the 
teeth  opening.  Some  teachers  direct 
that  the  thumb  shall  be  used  for  this 
purpose;  but  the  cork  has  the  advan- 
tage of  leaving  the  hand  and  arm  free, 
and  achieves  its  object  more  easily 
and  completely. 

As  already  mentioned,  corks  of 
the  requisite  kind  can  be  obtained 
from  a  cork-cutter's.  The  best  qual- 
ity are  called  *  homeopathic,'  and  are 
sold  for  a  few  pence  per  gross.  If  thev  are  given  to  the 
boys  out  and  out,  they  will  certainly  be  lost.  I  found  the 
best  plan  was  to  keep  a  special  board,  pierced  with  pins, 


74 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


and  labelled  with  names,  upon  which  the  corks  could  be 
placed  when  not  in  use,  like  this  : 


J^  X_  ^.^  *    LX 


Exercise  5. — The  Humming  Exercise 


etc. 


M Ah. 


Experience  has  shown  that  this  is  sometimes  of  great 
value  for  obtaining  forward  resonance.  The  *  M  '  checks 
the  outgoing  breath.  When  the  lips  are  opened  care  should 
be  taken  to  keep  the  stream  of  breath  quite  steady.  In 
teaching  a  class  the  hum  can  be  obtained  by  the  simple  ex- 
pedient of  directing  the  singer  to  watch  the  teacher's  hand, 
and  then  giving  the  signals,  thus : 


CHAPTER    IX 

AGILITY   EXERCISES  — SCALES 

Musical  phrases  are  largely  composed  of  scale  and 
arpeggio  passages.  The  mechanical  practising  of  these 
technical  figures  will  therefore  greatly  help  in  the  rendering 
of  all  music. 

After  the  difficulty  of  producing  a  single  note  has  been 
mastered,  the  next  step  will  be  to  pass  from  one  pitch  to 
another  with  perfect  precision,  and  without  injury  to  the 
quality.  Slow  scales  will  first  be  practised,  with  careful 
attention  to  the  quality  of  each  note.  Afterwards  the  pace 
will  be  increased  until  great  rapidity  is  achieved. 

Exercise  6. — The  Descending  Scale 


Repeat    a    semitone     higher,    until    f.^ zz:=    is    reached. 

This  may  be  started  at  first  with  the  lips  closed,  to  se- 
cure correct  tone  for  the  top  note,  thus  :  —  b^-r-ag-=^^V— 
and  afterwards  with  direct  attack.  The  atten-  tJ  ^  -  -  ah 
tion  must  be  given  to  the  two  extreme  notes ;  the  higher 
should  have  middle  resonance ;  the  lower,  chest-tone. 
The  higher  should  be  slightly  rounded ;  the  lower,  opened 
wide. 

As  the  exercise  is  transposed,  these  characteristics  will 
change.  For  £,  and  above  it,  the  head-voice  will  be  em- 
ployed at  the  top,  the  middle  register  at  the  bottom  of  the 
phrase. 

Exercise  7. — The  Ascending  Scale 
Ah ------- 


75 


7^  The  Choirtrainers  Art 

This  should  be  practised  slowly,  with  careful  attention 
to  the  tone  of  each  note.  As  the  pitch  rises  the  lips  should 
be  slightly  closed,  with  what  is  known  as  a  'darkening'  of 
the  tone.  If  the  tone  sounds  at  all  forced,  the  head  should 
be  lowered  and  the  shoulders  slightly  raised  during  the  as- 
cent. The  exercise  should  be  repeated  on  every  semitone  to 
Eg^^^r-  with  variation  of  resonance  as  in  the  preceding. 

Exercise   8. — The  Same  Scale  Descending 

Exercise  9. — The  Nine-Note  Scale 
Ah 


This  should  be  commenced  after  certainty  of  production 
has  been  secured  by  the  foregoing.  The  attention  should 
be  chiefly  directed  to  the  highest  note ;  and  if  this  is  at  first 
unsatisfactory  it  should  be  taken  alone.  The  speed  should 
be  slow  at  the  outset ;  afterwards  gradually  quickened.  The 
aim  should  be  to  produce  every  note  cleanly  and  with  pre- 
cision. The  scale  may  be  sung  first  staccato  and  afterwards 
legato. 

Exercise   10. — The  Fifteen-Note  Scale 


=J=i4 


Ah 


-«- nzi- 


This  should  be  sung  in  one  breath  —  a  very  deep  one  —  and 
slowly,  with  quiet,  clear  tone  throughout. 

Exercise  i  i  .  —  A  Variation  of  the  Preceding. 

All  boys  prepare  to  sing  this.     While  the  pianist  plays 
the  scale  slowly  and  softly,  the  teacher  points  with  the  baton 


Agility  Exercises  —  Scales  11 

to  the  boy  who  is  to  sing  at  any  moment.  It  makes  a  val- 
uable and  at  the  same  time  an  interesting  and  amusing  ex- 
ercise. The  boys  are  all  on  the  alert  the  whole  time,  with 
eyes  fixed  upon  the  baton ;  unhesitating  promptness,  pre- 
cision, and  accuracy  of  pitch  are  secured. 

This  is  the  order  of  entry :  Suppose  there  are  a  dozen 
boys  taking  part,  the  teacher  points  to  No.  i  for  the  first 
note,  keeping  the  baton  still  for  the  whole  ascending  scale. 
Then  No.  i  will  take  the  descending  scale.  Next,  No.  3 
may  have  four  notes  up  ;  No.  4,  the  remainder  of  the  scale. 
Then  each  boy  in  turn,  starting  from  left  to  right,  may 
have  one  note  (  Nos.  i,  2,  3,  etc.);  after  this  the  start  may 
be  made  from  the  other  end  (Nos.  12,  11,  10,  etc.);  and, 
lastly,  the  order  may  vary  {e.g.,  i,  3,  12,  2,  8,  6,  etc.). 
Then  the  pace  may  be  increased,  so  long  as  the  results 
are  accurate.  When  any  one  fails,  the  pace  should  be 
reduced  until  more  skill  is  acquired.  I  always  found  the 
above  a  most  popular  exercise,  and  it  was  constantly  asked 
for. 

Exercise   i  2 


■P  I  repeated  a  semitone  v ^   „    ^ 

g^  J     J     J     J  I   ^T"    higher,  as  far  as  ^g]   |       I 


Ah    -----    -  Ah 


This  is  the  preliminary  to  the  shake.     Attention  should 
be  given  to  neat  joining  and  pure  tone.     The  '  shape '  of 

each  note  should  be  a  clear  cut  square  (lRd)  joining  im- 
mediately on  to  its  neighbours,  but  quite  distinct  and  free 
from  *  smudginess.'  Particular  care  should  be  taken  with 
the  upper  note.  The  sensation  should  be  opposite  —  as 
the  pitch  rises,  the  whole  head  should  give  the  feeling  of 
pressing  down. 

Exercise    i  3 


^^TT^~^^r^'^^-'^TT^--drT^^:-' 


Ah    --------------------- 

The  shake  itself.     After  Kx.  12  has  been  well  practised, 
the  s^me  figure  can   be   taken  more  frequently  and  more 


78 


The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 


rapidly,  using  seven  beats  with  four  notes  to  each.     The 
speed  should  be  increased  as  familiarity  brings  certainty. 


Exercise    14 


;$2S^ 


Ah 


This  advances  a  step  further  than  Ex.  \i.     It  should  be 
rendered  in  the  same  manner. 

Exercise    i  5 


-  y.^              -H  .  -  ,                   -1 

tf  1 — \ — t— H — ^ — 1 — ^ — ^ — +^ 

a 

*J           v^ 

d 

^       <=? 

Ah     - 


An  extension  of  Ex.  14;  a  valuable  study  at  any  time. 
The  alternation  of  humming  and  vowel-tone  will  secure 
resonance  and  control. 


Exercise   16 


=«=^ 


■A \ ^^ 


-g"    '   gy 


Ah 


An  extension  of  Ex.  15, 

Exercise   17 


An  extension  of  Ex.  16. 


Exercise    i  8 


i 


3==t 


t*= 


-^ — ^ 


~-$Tti 


M    -    -    -    -     - 


-    -   Ah 


A  valuable  exercise.     The  *  M  '  should  pass  into  the 
*Ah  '  neatly,  without  any  break  of  continuity. 


CHAPTER    X 

AGILITY  EXERCISES  —  ARPEGGIOS,   ETC. 

When  the  power  of  moving  by  step  with  correct  tone 
has  been  gained,  the  training  must  be  directed  towards  ac- 
quiring facility  in  moving  by  leaps.  The  obvious  means 
to  this  end  is  the  practising  of  arpeggios  of  common  chords. 
They  contain  the  intervals  of  the  minor  and  major  third 
and  the  perfect  fourth  ;  when  these  can  be  well  sung,  little 
will  remain  to  be  done. 

Exercise   19 


^ 


Repeat  a  semi-   F 
tone  higher,  to    ^ 


Ah 


Care  must  be  taken  that  the  quality  of  tone  loses  nothing 
by  the  rising  pitch.  As  the  pitch  rises,  the  head  must  feel 
as  if  it  were  being  lowered  —  as  with  the  scales. 


:z3e:^^ 


Exercise  20 

^-1 


-^ — 1 — 


Ah 


Repeat  a  semitone  higher,  to 


Here  the  two  extreme  notes  should  receive  chief  atten- 
tion. The  lower  should  be  deep  and  full,  vibrating  in  the 
chest;  the  upper  should  be  prepared  for  by  the  '  IVI  —  Ah  ' 
before  the  whole  passage  is  attempted.  As  the  pitch  ascends 
these  directions  will  of  course  be  modified. 


79 


8o  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


Exercise  zi 


f 


=Jr 


:4= 


An  extension  of  Ex.  20. 


F5f      T- 

Exercise   22 

-i— i"^ — r — p-  r — •— i — ^ — r 

'#^--- 

*  r   '      -  ^ — ' — r-"^* 

~*           ■S' 

Ah     --------------- 

A  very  valuable  study.  As  before,  special  attention 
should  be  given  to  the  extreme  notes,  and  the  pace  should 
at  first  be  rather  slow. 

Exercise   23 

This  consists  of  the  preceding  figure  taken  in  a  new  way. 
Instead  of  singing  it  once  only,  let  the  boys  now  start  all  to- 
gether, after  talcing  a  full  breath  ;  then  go  on  repeating  the 
figure  as  many  times  as  possible  without  taking  more  breath. 
The  one  who  continues  the  longest  gains  a  prize.  The  pace 
will  now  be  rather  quick,  and  the  notes  sung  lightly.  It 
shows  in  a  surprising  way  what  the  lungs  of  boys  are  capable 
of  when  developed.  I  have  had  a  boy  who  was  able  to 
sing  this  figure  thirty  times  with  the  same  breath. 

This  exercise  will  be  a  very  popular  one,  exciting  great 
interest  and  amusement.  It  will  be  regarded  as  a  real 
'  sporting '  event.  The  result  in  lung-development  will  be 
invaluable. 

The  above  arpeggio  figures  are  sufficient  for  all  practical 
purposes.  If  more  variety  is  desired,  the  choirmaster  can 
invent  others  for  himself. 

It  will  be  convenient  to  include  in  this  chapter  double 
and  triple  scales.  They  are  not  things  that  should  be  at- 
tempted in  the  early  stages  of  development,  but  may  follow 
when  single  scales  and  arpeggios  have  established  themselves. 

Double  and  triple  scales  should  be  practised  with  a  single 
voice  to  each  part :  they  are  excellent  for  acquiring  the  power 
of  taking  a  lower  part  with  accuracy  and  sustaining  it  with- 
out hesitation. 


Agility  Exercises — Arpeggios^   etc,      ^^ 

Exercise  24. — Double  Scale 


To  sing  the  above,  two  selected  boys  should  prepare ; 
then  the  choirmaster  should  point  first  to  the  one  who  is  to 
sing  the  lower  note,  while  it  is  played  upon  the  pianoforte. 
As  soon  as  he  has  commened  to  sing,  the  one  for  the  upper 
part  will  follow.  When  the  second  voice  starts,  the  figure 
should  be  regarded  as  having  commenced  ;  and  the  time 
should  be  beaten  so  as  to  keep  both  voices  together,  thus  : 


etc. 


3,  4 


When  this  has  been  sung,  the  arrangement  should  be  re- 
versed :  the  boy  who  took  the  lower  note  will  now  take  the 
upper.  Very  young  juniors  will  be  unable  to  keep  the 
lower  part  at  first,  but  they  will  soon  pick  it  up  by  listen- 
ing to  others  and  trying  to  imitate  them.  With  a  whole 
row  of  boys,  each  can  have  his  turn,  with  an  opportunity  of 
taking  either  part,  thus  : 

^  etc. 

234 

or  they  may  be  taken  at  random. 

Exercise   25. — Triple  Scale 


This  is  an  interesting  and  useful  study.  To  take  it  ac- 
curately the  singers  will  have  to  be  fairly  advanced ;  very 
young  boys  should  not  attempt  it. 

It  should  be  commenced  in  the  same  manner  as  No.  24. 

Here  three  boys  will  be  selected,  and  each  will  have  a 
change  of  taking  any  note.     The  middle  part  will  be  the 


82  The  Choirtrainers  Art 

most  difficult,  but  all  will  soon  master  it  with  patience  and 
perseverance.  On  the  same  plan  as  before,  the  order  of 
voices  may  be  : 

12332 

2  3  I  2  I 

3  I  2  I  3 

Each  boy  must  be  prepared  to  sing  any  part  when  called 
upon.     The  scales  may  be  transposed  by  semitones,  rising 

as  high  as  ti 


This  concludes  the  pure  voice-production  exercises. 
When  they  have  all  been  sung  to  the  vowel '  Ah  '  they  may 
be  taken  to  others.  It  should  be  possible  to  sing  all  of  the 
given  passages  to  any  vowel  with  equal  ease  and  certainty. 
After  *  Ah,'  the  most  important  for  practice  is  perhaps  *  E  ' 
(see  p.  61).  Then  'O'  may  be  studied.  *A'  will  always 
be  troublesome. 

The  best  way  to  conduct  these  exercises  is  for  the  choir- 
master to  know  them  all  from  memory,  the  pianist  also 
being  ready  to  play  suitable  accompaniments ;  then  the 
teacher  will  *  pattern  '  with  his  own  voice  the  one  he  intends 
to  have  sung.  But  to  facilitate  the  use  in  the  early  stages, 
the  whole  are  given  in  full  on  another  page,  with  pianoforte 
accompaniment.      (  See  p.  00.  ) 

The  voice-production  exercises  should  never  be  regarded 
as  finished.  At  every  stage  m  his  career  every  chorister 
should  constantly  practise  them  ;  so  will  he  be  certain  'to 
keep  his  voice  in  good  order.  It  should  be  remembered 
that  the  singing  of  words  has  always  a  tendency  to  vitiate 
pure  vocal  tone.  This  tendency  will  be  successfully  coun- 
teracted by  steady  and  conscientious  practice  of  the  ex- 
ercises. 


CHAPTER    XI 
USE   OF  THE   BLACKBOARD 

Though  not  actually  essential,  a  blackboard  ruled  with 
music-lines  will  be  found  a  convenient  adjunct  to  the  practice 
room.  It  is  not  necessary  for  the  choirmaster  to  give  much 
attention  to  the  teaching  of  sight-reading  as  a  separate  study: 
the  practice  of  the  voice-production  exercises  and  other 
things  will  so  sharpen  the  wits,  and  exercise  the  muscles, 
of  the  boys  that  they  will  unconsciously  acquire  the  power 
of  sight-reading,  without  special  attention.  This  is,  of 
course,  assuming  that  they  have  daily,  or  at  any  rate  fre- 
quent, practices.  With  classes  that  meet  only  occasionally 
the  case  is  different.  Still,  although  the  other  aspects  of 
the  work  are  more  important  for  church  choirs,  nothing  but 
good  can  arise  from  occasional  practice  in  sight-reading. 
And  this  can  be  introduced  with  the  help  of  the  blackboard. 

The  board  being  already  ruled  with  music-lines,  the 
notes  of  the  scale  should  be  written  upon  the  lines,  em- 
bracing the  easy  compass  of  the  voice,  thus  : 


^ 

0^ 

m 

• — 

— ^ s=> <» =^- 







-ft 

CJ 

-«. 1=^  — 

a 

iBt 





-^    ^ — ^ — ^- — 

-<CT 

Ci«f... 





7j   -^ 

o 

This  appears  in  the  key  of  C,  but  any  signature  may  be 
written  at  the  commencement  of  the  lines  and  then  the 
tonic  pointed  to. 

The  teacher  will  now  take  the  baton  and  point  to  any 
note,  which  the  boys  will  be  required  to  sing  to  the  vowel 
*  Ah';  the  pitch  being  given  bv  the  pianoforte.  From  this 
start  he  will  proceed  to  point  to  the  notes  of  any  tune  he 
wishes  to  be  sung  —  either  one  already  known,  or  composed 
extempore  by  him  on  the  spot.     This  method  will  cultivate 

83 


84  The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 

the  power  of  reading  intervals  with  accuracy  and  ease.  The 
whole  notes  will,  of  course,  be  regarded  simply  as  signs  of 
pitch,  not  pace.  For  sight-reading  in  two  parts  two  batons 
may  be  used,  one  in  each  hand.  I  myself  have  sometimes 
used  three  sticks,  introducing  three-part  harmony,  to  the 
great  satisfaction  of  the  singers ;  but  this  is  a  more  difficult 
operation,  and  cannot  well  be  described  in  writing  ;  nothing 
short  of  a  personal  interview  would  carry  conviction. 

There  is  further  use  for  the  blackboard.  In  order  that 
the  minds  of  the  singers  may  be  concentrated  upon  what 
they  are  doing,  it  is  important  to  avoid  superfluous  talking. 
No  singer  should  be  allowed  to  speak ;  the  choirmaster's 
words  should  be  reduced  to  the  fewest  number  possible. 
Many  directions  may  then  be  written  upon  the  blackboard. 
When  they  are  to  be  followed,  the  teacher  will  quietly  point 
to  them  with  his  stick,  thus  avoiding  all  necessity  for 
speaking. 

The  seven  long  vowels  may  in  this  way  be  written  in 
bold  type.  Then  whichever  one  is  to  be  used  for  an  ex- 
ercise can  be  indicated  at  the  right  moment. 

The  humming  exercise  can  be  introduced  anywhere  by 
simply  pointing  to  the  letter  *  M.'  Various  other  directions 
that  are  frequently  needed  can  in  the  same  way  be  indicated  ; 
e.g.^  '  cork  in',  '  cork  out,'  *  deep  breath,'  '  stand  up  straight,' 
*  sit,'  etc.,  etc. 


CHAPTER   XII 

VOWELS   AND  CONSONANTS  COMBINED 

Headway  having  been  made  with  vocal  tone,  constant 
and  diligent  attention  should  be  given  to  the  study  of  hymns. 
The  hymn  gives  the  choirmaster  opportunities  for  illus- 
trating, on  a  small  and  simple  scale,  all  that  goes  to  the 
making  of  an  artistic  interpretation  of  vocal  music.  There 
is  no  point  of  expression  or  style  in  the  most  difficult  an- 


Vowels  and  Consonants  Combined       ^5 

them  that  does  not  find  its  counterpart  in  the  simple  hymn  ; 
and  a  choir  able  to  give  a  really  fine  rendering  of  hymns 
may  be  trusted  to  do  credit  to  itself  in  any  other  music. 

In  practising  hymns  the  following  details  of  vocal  de- 
livery are  to  be  considered  : 
I .   Purity  of  tone. 
1.   Maintenance  of  pitch. 

3.  Accuracy  of  time. 

4.  Vowel  quality. 

5.  Consonants. 

6.  Phrasing. 

7.  Accent. 

8.  Expression. 

9.  Meaning  of  words. 

The  beauty  and  impressiveness  of  any  vocal  perform- 
ance will  depend  upon  the  understanding  and  application  of 
every  one  of  these  points.  Blended  together,  they  will 
form  one  complete  and  perfect  whole,  whose  merit  will  be 
that  of  a  plain,  simple  unity. 

The  choirmaster  should  attack  one  point  at  a  time,  while 
ever  bearing  all  in  mind.  His  object  will  be  to  lead  the 
singers  gradually,  not  observing  all  at  all  times,  not  with 
conscious  effort,  but  as  a  matter  of  habit. 

It  will  now  be  seen  how  advantageous  it  is  to  have  some 
simple  material  upon  which  to  work,  in  aiming  at  this  high 
artistic  standard  ;  and  nothing  is  better  for  the  purpose  than 
hymns.  They  give  notes  extending  only  over  the  easy 
compass  of  the  voice  ;  their  words  contain  all  the  vocal 
elements  that  will  be  found  in  other  music;  and  their  sim- 
plicity allows  all  the  attention  to  be  directed  to  the  vital 
points  in  vocal  rendering,  without  distracting  the  mind  by 
efforts  to  conquer  purely  musical  difficulties. 

When  the  habit  has  been  acquired  of  instinctively 
attending  to  ail  these  points  of  rendering  —  when  it  has  be- 
come part  of  the  singer's  very  nature  —  then  he  can  turn  to 
elaborate  music  with  confidence ;  for  he  will  be  certain  to 
give  it  an  artistic  interpretation,  once  its  technical  details 
have  been  mastered. 


86 


The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 


The  practising  of  hymns  may  be  made  interesting  to  the 
junior  boys  by  taking  them  in  a  great  variety  of  ways. 
They  may  be  sung : 

I.  All  together; 

1.   By  a  single  voice  ; 

3.  By  two  together; 

4.  By  a  whole  row ; 

5.  As  a  solo  by  the  choirmaster,  to  be  imitated ;  or 

6.  Single  phrases, 

7.  Single  words,  or  even 

8.  Single  vowel  or  consonant  sounds,  may  be  studied. 
When  one  voice  is  singing  alone  the  others  need  not  re- 
main long  idle,  but  may  be  instructed  to  join  in  at  a  given 
signal.  If  the  verses  are  short,  this  may  be  for  the  last 
line  ;  if  long,  for  the  second  half;  if  they  end  with  a  refrain, 
that  may  be  the  point  of  entry. 

A  few  well-known  hymns  will  now  be  taken,  as  illustra- 
tions of  a  lesson. 

Hymns  A.  &  M.  165  (New  American  Hymnal  418). 


i 


^ 


--^ 


^^Sfsz 


O     God,    our    help      in        a   -  ges     past,     Our     hope     for    years     to      come, 


--X 


i1 ± 


Our    shel  -  ter    from  the    storm- y     blast,     And      our       e   -  ter  -  nal    home. 

*  O  God.'  —  Let  the  *  O  '  be  taken  with  full  round 
tone  ;  it  must  not  sound  like  '  er.'  '  God  '  is  a  word  that  is 
seldom  well  pronounced  by  choirs  :  the  vowel  must  be  very 
round,  the  '  d '  quite  distinct. 

*  Our.*  —  Here  the  sound  of  *  ah  '  should  be  aimed  at ; 
the  vowel-glide  will  take  care  of  itself. 

*  Help.'  —  Care  should  be  taken  that  the  '  p  '  sounds  as 
belonging  to  its  own  word,  not  the  next. 

'  In.'  —  Here  is  the  '  T'  sound:  keep  the  tongue  down 
in  the  front,  bringing  the  tone  well  forward.  The  pitch  is 
at  a  difficult  part  of  the  voice.  Secure  good  'middle'  tone  ; 
if  necessary,  by  first  closing  the  lips. 


Vowels  and  Consonants   Combined       87 

*  Ages.'  —  The  second  syllable  should  be  carefully  ren- 
dered, not  sounded  as  *  iz.' 

*  Past.'  — Secure  the  ring  in  the  front  of  the  mouth,  and 
pronounce  the  consonants  distinctly. 

*  Our  hope.'  —  The  round  vowel  of  *  hope '  must  be 
guarded,  and  the  '  p  '  sounded. 

'  For.'  —  Do  not  roll  the  *  r.' 

*  Years.'  —  This  will  probably  be  rendered  incorrectly 
by  beginners.  The  sound  of  *  e '  must  be  continued  quite 
to  the  end  of  the  note,  and  it  should  be  well  produced  with 
the  tip  of  the  tongue  low  down. 

*  To.*  —  Not  *  too  ';  a  light  vowel-sound. 

*  Come.'  —  The  full  three  beats  should  be  given  to  the 
vowel,  which  should  be  well  opened. 

*  Our  shelter.'  —  *  Shel-'  is  difficult  for  beginners.  A- 
gain  secure  resonance  by  the  closed  lips,  and  then  open  out 
the  vowel. 

'From.'  —  This  takes  the  highest  note  in  the  tune. 
Try  it  separately  if  it  goes  badly  ;  let  the  boys  compete  as 
to  who  will  set  the  best  pattern ;  then  the  winner  may  be 
imitated. 

*  The.'  —  A  light  vowel-sound  :  *  u.' 

*  Stormy  blast.'  —  Give  a  large  round  vowel  for  the  first 
word ;  pronounce  all  the  consonants  in  the  second. 

'  And  our  eternal  home.'  —  Take  care  that  *  and  '  re- 
tains both  its  consonants.  *  Eternal '  commences  with  a 
long  *  e  '  :  its  second  vowel  should  be  well  adjusted  to  the 
*  t.'  *Home'  should  be  well  rounded,  and  sung  for  the 
full  three  beats. 

It  will  be  noted  that  this  verse  only  forms  an  address: 
it  terminates  with  a  semicolon,  and  should  be  only  slightly 
separated  from  the  next.  Passing  rapidly  over  the  other 
verses,  notice  the  following  points  : 

*  Beneath  '  and  *  before  '  should  be  pronounced  with  the 
first  syllable  short. 

*  Sure'  should  be  sung  with  three  beats  to  the  sound  of 
'  00.'  This  is  very  seldom  delivered  correctly,  and  de- 
mands careful  attention. 


88  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

'  Art  God.'  —  Care  should  be  taken  to  pronounce  the 
final  consonant  in  both  words. 

*  As  a  dream.'  —  No  break  should  be  made  here  after 
*  dream ';  the  sense  will  be  clear  if  breath  is  taken  before 
*as. 

The  pace  of  the  hymn  should  be  moderate;  the  expres- 
sion broad  and  dignified.  The  legato  style  should  be 
aimed  at  all  through. 

1 60. 

?lM^8 : 


i 


Ho  -   ly,     ho   -   ly,       ho  -   ly! 

(  For  the  rest  of  the  text,  see  Hymn  Book. ) 
In  the  first  phrase  commence  with  very  soft  tone,  mak- 
ing a  gradual  crescendo  to  the  third  word.      Pronounce  the 
*  o  '  very  roundly  ;  the  *  ly  '  lightly.      Make  a  very  slight 
break  between  each  word. 

*  Lord  God  almighty.'  —  '^2ik.^  2i  crescendo  right  along 
here.  The  pronunciation  of  the  '  d's  '  must  be  cared  for  ; 
they  are  often  omitted.  The  tone  of  the  C  sharp  will  per- 
haps give  trouble.     Care  for  it  in  the  usual  way. 

*  Early  in  the  morning,  etc'  —  Beginners  usually  neglect 
the  dot ;  make  a  special  point  of  explaining  its  use  here, 
and  allow  no  inaccuracy.  The  tone  of  '  morning  '  should 
be  watched ;  it  ought  to  ring  out  with  telling  effect.  The 
E  will  be  a  head-note,  taken  with  the  head  held  well  back 
and  down. 

*  Thee '  has  four  beats.  The  note  is  seldom  given  its 
full  value ;  this  will  form  a  good  illustration  of  the  impor- 
tance of  accuracy  in  time.  Allow  no  excuses  as  to  failure 
of  breath  to  interfere  with  its  due  length. 

*  Holy,  holy,  holy.'  —  This  will  be  taken  in  the  same 
way  as  the  first  line.  The  dot  at  *  merciful '  should  be  in- 
sisted upon. 

*  God  in  three  persons,  etc'  —  This  last  line  is  the  cli- 
max, and  should  be  delivered  with  great  emphasis.  There 
is  an  unfortunate  false  accent  upon  '  in  '  instead  of  *  three  '; 
this  should  be  minimized  by  giving  extra  weight  to  the  lat- 


Vowels  and  Consonants   Combined      ^9 


ter  word.  At  the  end  of  the  line  there  should  be  a  gradual 
diminuendo.  Great  care  should  be  taken  with  the  conclud- 
ing words.  *  Trinity  '  with  its  three  repetitions  of  '  T,'  will 
repay  close  study;  commonly,  it  is  not  well  sung.  The  last 
note  must  be  held  for  the  full  four  beats.  To  insure  this 
will  require  determined  persistence  on  the  part  of  the  choir- 
master. The  composer  has,  with  pathetic  suggestion, 
placed  a  pause  over  it.  This  is  quite  unnecessary.  What 
is  required  is  the  full  length  of  the  breve,  and  I  do  not 
suppose  he  really  desired  any  more. 

The  following  points  will  require  attention  in  the 
remaining  verses  : 

'  Which  wert,  etc'  —  A  break  at  each  comma  is  neces- 
sary here  to  bring  out  the  full  force  of  the  solemn  state- 
ment. It  must  be  remembered  that  not  all  commas  re- 
quire a  break.  Stops  are  only  a  help  (often  an  imperfect 
and  fallible  one)  to  the  rendering ;  it  is  the  sense  that  must 
guide. 

*  Perfect  in  power,  etc'  —  Here  untrained  singers  will 
desire  to  make  a  break  after  the  word  *  in,'  instead  of  after 
*  love.'  They  will  require  patient  persistence  to  guide  them 
aright. 

The  pace  of  the  whole  hymn  should  not  be  slow.  It  is 
so  long  that  a  slow  tempo  gives  a  wearisome  effect.  The 
movement  should,  however,  be  extremely  smooth  and  con- 
nected, and  all  accent  shunned  except  that  required  by  the 
words.  It  will  then  be  seen  that,  though  the  pace  as 
judged  by  a  metronome  may  be  quick,  the  effect  will  not 
be  that  of  hurry.  It  is  the  repetition  of  strong  accents  that 
gives  the  mental  impression  of  speed  ;  smoothness  of  ren- 
dering produces  a  feeling  of  calm,  even  though  the  actual 
pace  be  rapid. 

183. 


When  wound  -   ed        sore,        the  .   .    strick   -    en       heart 

This  beautiful  hymn  will  give  scope  for  the  introduction 
of  tender  and  earnest  expression.  It  should  be  solemn 
and  sustained,  with  every  point  of  phrasing  observed. 


90  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

*  When  wounded  sore,  etc'  —  No  break  should  be  made 
Ujijiat  the  end  of  the  first  line.      Render  the  quarter-notes  care- 

jIU  fully;  when  two  are  substituted  for  a  half-note,  each  should 
/|j|  be  regarded  as  of  slightly  more  value  than  half  a  half-note. 
*  'The  teacher  who  applies  this  rule  will  reap  from  it  a  har- 
vest of  results.  Dwell  slightly  on  each  of  the  notes,  giv- 
ing a  little  more  time  to  the  first  than  to  the  second. 

*  One  only  hand,  etc'     Render  thus : 

*  One  only  hand  —  a  pierced  hand.' 

Make  a  slight  break  at — .  Make  a  decided  lengthening 
upon  'on-,'  with  powerful  tone.  The  solemn  reference  in 
the  second  phrase  is  indicated  by  the  break  after  '  hand.' 
This  phrase  should  be  taken  very  quietly.  After  it  there 
should  be  no  break,  but  the  motion  should  continue  to  the 
end  of  the  verse. 

In  the  remaining  verses  the  same  points  will  be  noticed  ; 
and  with  what  has  been  already  indicated  the  choirmaster 
will  be  able  to  render  them  with  good  effect.  The  false 
accent  in  the  third  verse  on  '  over '  may  be  corrected  by 
giving  an  extra  verbal  accent  to  the  syllable  requiring  it. 

In  this  chapter  it  had  been  intended  to  introduce  the 
hymn  only  as  a  voice-production  exercise,  but  it  seemed 
impossible  to  use  it  at  all  without  attending  to  other  points, 
which,  if  neglected,  would  take  from  voice-production  most 
of  its  value.  Much  that  in  logical  sequence  should  have 
come  in  Part  III  has,  therefore,  been  anticipated. 

In  spite  of  this  the  reader  may  still  regard  the  hymn  as 
most  valuable  material  for  the  study  of  voice-production, 
as  an  end  in  itself.  He  will  use  his  own  judgment  as.  to 
when  to  bring  in  other  matters,  and  how  much  of  them, 
in  the  early  stages  of  training.  All  possibilities  of  artistic 
rendering  will  be  in  his  own  mind  ;  but  he  will  not  con- 
stantly refer  to  them.  A  touch  here,  a  point  gained  there, 
will  lead  to  steady  and  real  progress  —  progress  that  never 
looks  back ;  that  never  requires  to,  for  it  makes  sure  of 
every  inch  of  ground  as  it  moves  on,  and,  building  upon 
sure  foundations,  raises  its  edifice  with  a  firmness  and  solid- 
ity that  cannot  be  shaken. 


Altos  of  Trinity  Church,  Newport,  R.  I. 


CHAPTER   XIII 
THE  TRAINING  OF  ALTOS 

In  proportion  to  the  well-known  dearth  of  male  alto 
singers  is  the  desire  for  information  as  to  the  correct  method 
of  training  them. 

The  writer's  recent  experience  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  was  of 
so  unusual  and  so  interesting  a  character  that  he  will  make 
no  apology  for  here  describing  it.  He  undertook  to  found 
a  choir  of  men  and  boys.  The  boys  were  soon  secured ; 
tenors  and  basses  were  discovered ;  but  of  altos  there  were 
none  to  be  obtained  on  any  terms  —  in  fact,  such  a  thing  as 
a  male  adult  alto  had  never  been  heard  of  in  the  place. 

The  writer  discarded  the  suggestion  to  allow  treble  boys 
to  sing  the  alto  part,  for  reasons  already  given  in  these 
pages  ;  and  he  determined  to  try  the  experiment  of 'making' 
some  adult  altos  out  of  nothing.  He  then  secured  six  en- 
thusiastic youths  of  1 6  and  1 7  years  of  age,  whose  voices  had 
*  broken  ';  very  desirable  from  every  point  of  view  but  the 
musical.  They  gladly  placed  themselves  in  his  hands,  and 
he  made  agreements  with  them  that,  in  return  for  his 
promise  to  give  them  voices,  they  would  undertake  to  sing 
for  the  Church  for  not  less  than  five  years.  Then  the  work 
commenced. 

Three  separate  practices  of  forty-five  minutes  each  were 
arranged  during  the  week,  and  the  altos  were  also  allowed  to 
attend  the  full  rehearsal.  It  was  found,  when  they  attempted 
to  sing,  that  they  were  innocent  of  the  possibility  of  pro- 
ducing a  single  note  correctly.  This,  however,  did  not 
matter ;  they  stood  up  and  breathed.  Then  they  tried  to 
hum  a  note  struck  on  the  pianoforte,  following  the  choir- 
master's pattern.  This  gave  some  tone.  The  next  step 
was  a  slight  opening  of  the  lips.  The  vowel  *  Ah  '  was 
found  to  spoil  the  tone  at  once,  but  '  E  *  and  '  OO  '  proved 
serviceable,  especially  the  former ;  so  this  was  retained  and 

9^ 


9  2  The  Choirtrainers  Art 

used  continuously.  Then  some  of  the  exercises  already 
used  for  the  treble  boys  were  introduced,  transposed  to  the 
proper  compass.     This  was  the  most  useful  one : 


transposed  by  semitones  up  to  C. 

Then  the  ascending  scale  in  even  notes,  followed  by  the 
descending  one,  within  the  same  compass. 

Having  secured  some  tone,  the  next  question  was  the 
singing  of  an  inner  part.  First,  while  the  youths  sang  one 
note,  a  higher  one  was  sounded  on  the  piano,  first  softly, 
then  more  loudly  : 

P  mf         / 


m 


^^ 


When  it  had  become  possible  to  retain  this  note  against 
its  antagonist,  it  was  an  easy  step  to  using  one  voice  against 
another,  and  we  soon  got  on  to  chords  of  two,  three,  four 
and  five  parts.     This  is  what  then  appeared  : 


The  above  was  started  by  each  in  succession,  so  that  by 
going  through  the  row  every  singer  had  a  turn  at  every 
note.  Much  interest  followed  this  process,  and  progress 
was  soon  apparent. 

The  next  step  was  to  take  hymn-tunes,  at  first  very 
simple  ones,  sung  only  to  the  vowel  *  E.'  By  directions  to 
watch  carefully  the  notes,  and  when  they  rose  to  sing  up, 
and  vice  versa,  we  presently  got  something  approaching  the 
pitch.  Then  the  time  was  introduced  by  beating,  as  with  the 
boys  ;  and  it  was  soon  possible  to  get  the  tune  right.  This 
was  practised,  first  with  the  alto  part  played  prominently  on 
the  pianoforte,  and  then  with  the  alto  and  treble.  At  first 
this  latter  introduced  confusion,  but  step  by  step  confidence 
and  power  were  gained,  until  before  very  long  that  trouble 
was  vanquished.     Then  we  called  in  a  few  treble  boys  to 


The    Training  of  Altos  3Z 

sing  their  part  against  the  altos.  Again  there  was  confusion, 
and  again  it  was  conquered. 

It  was,  however,  some  time  before  these  neophytes  were 
able  to  sing  a  part  against  the  whole  of  the  other  voices. 
Their  worst  antagonists  were  of  course  the  trebles,  and  these 
were  therefore  most  frequently  pitted  against  them. 

All  the  time  we  were  using  chiefly  the  vowel  *  E '; 
occasionally  '  OO  ';  but  nothing  else.  In  course  of  time  we 
tried  the  words  with  the  music.  At  first  this  meant  renewed 
failure,  for  the  tone  became  completely  vitiated ;  but  by 
degrees  we  got  one  word  successfully,  then  another,  until 
before  long  all  could  be  given  with  equally  good  tone. 

In  the  early  stages  the  youths  were  directed  to  sing  very 
little  when  the  other  voices  were  at  work ;  but  gradually 
and  tentatively  to  put  a  note  in  where  they  felt  able.  At 
beginning,  they  were  completely  overwhelmed  by  hearing 
parts  all  around  them  ;  but  we  proceeded  steadily  with  our 
eyes  on  the  goal,  and  never  allowed  difficulties  to  act  as 
discouragements. 

The  results  of  all  this  were  beyond  every  expectation. 
Within  a  year  of  the  time  of  commencement,  these  raw 
youths,  who  started  with  no  tone  and  no  power  of  keeping  a 
part,  were  singing  correctly  and  with  good  effect  all  the  reg- 
ular church  music,  including  the  chanting  of  the  Psalms,  such 
Services  as  Stanford  in  B  flat  and  Hopkins  in  /%  and  such 
anthems  as  Mendelssohn's  *  As  the  Hart  Pants  '  and  Han- 
del's '  Hallelujah  '  Chorus  ;  and  they  had  become  quite  val- 
uable church  singers.  The  chief  difficulty  lay  in  facing  the 
first  beginnings  ;  there  was  nothing  to  build  upon.  After 
a  few  months,  success  was  certain  ;  but  at  the  first  it  needed 
a  sanguine  temperament  to  believe  that  good  results  could 
by  any  possibility  be  obtained. 

The  writer  has  felt  this  to  be  one  of  the  most  interesting 
experiences  of  his  musical  life  ;  he  has  therefore  described 
it  in  the  hope  that  it  may  be  of  use  to  readers  placed  in 
similar  circumstances. 


PART    III 
THE   RENDERING   OF   CHURCH   MUSIC 


95 


PART    III 

THE  RENDERING  OF  CHURCH  MUSIC 

Chapter  I :   The  Value  of  Words 

Chapter  II :   Words  and  Music    .... 

Chapter  III :    The    Fixed    Plain-Song    of  the   Service.  — 

Monotones     ...... 

Chapter  IV:    The  Fixed  Plain-Song  (cont.).      Versicles 

Responses ;  Litany  ..... 
Chapter  V  :    Psalm  Chanting        .... 
Chapter  VI:    Psalm  Chanting  (cont.)  . 
Chapter  VII :   Merbecke's  Communion  Service 
Chapter  VIII :    Further  Directions 
Chapter   IX  :    Accuracy  and  Expression 
Chapter  X  :    Hymns  ..... 

Chapter  XI :    Anthems  and  Services.      Conclusion   . 


97 

I02 

I  06 

114 
124 
132 
141 

'53 
159 
162 

172 


Exercises  as  given  in  Part  II 191 


96 


CHAPTER    I 

THE  VALUE  OF  WORDS 

All  art  Is  the  product  of  a  process  of  evolution.  To 
understand  the  use  and  exercise  of  an  art  like  music,  it  is 
necessary  frequently  to  consider,  and  to  bear  in  mind,  the 
origins  from  which  it  is  derived. 

The  origin  of  ecclesiastical  music  may  be  seen  in  the 
origin  of  all  music  —  the  man  striving  to  express  in  sound 
the  emotions  within  his  mind. 

Speech  expresses  thought ;  music,  emotion.  The  two 
are  often  intermingled.  There  is  seldom  speech  without 
emotion  ;  though,  of  course,  there  may  be  emotion  without 
speech. 

Vocal  music  clearly  finds  its  origin  in  the  natural  in- 
flexions of  the  voice  in  speaking,  and  these  inflexions  are 
primarily  dependent  upon  the  sense  and  emotion  of  the 
words.  A  sentence  containing  a  question  will  terminate 
with  a  rising  inflexion  ;  one  containing  an  emphatic  state- 
ment, with  a  falling  pitch. 

For  a  choirmaster  to  achieve  the  highest  perfection  of 
result,  it  is  necessary  that  he  realize  the  value  and  beauty  of 
words  in  themselves  :  first,  as  mere  combinations  of  sounds  ; 
secondly,  as  each  enfolding  a  sense  which  long  use  and  as- 
sociation has  widened  and  extended  with  a  hundred  memo- 
ries, making  the  word  a  familiar  friend  ;  and  thirdly,  as 
modified  by  the  juxtaposition  of  other  words,  thus  creating 
a  rhythm  —  in  itself  a  thing  of  interest  and  beauty.  Speak- 
ing of  the  importance  of  choice  of  language.  Lord  Chester- 
field wrote  :  "  I  will  willingly  exchange  and  give  up  some 
degree  of  rough  sense  for  a  good  degree  of  pleasing  sound." 

A  succession  of  words  always  involves  some  sort  of 
rhythm,  /'.<?.,  a  formal  alternation  of  strong  and  weak,  long 
and  short,  vocal  units.  In  modern  languages  the  strong 
and  weak  elements  are  what  chiefly  arrest  the  attention  ;  in 

97 


9  8  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

the  old  classical  languages  the  principal  things  considered 
were  the  long  and  short  elements. 

Rhythm  may  be  regular  or  irregular ;  the  former  is  found 
in  poetry,  the  latter  in  prose. 

It  would  seem  that  the  rendering  of  our  English  lan- 
guage has  lost  greatly  by  the  almost  universal  attention 
given  to  the  subject  of  force-accent  to  the  exclusion  of  con- 
siderations of  quantity.  Yet  the  latter  must  always  be  pres- 
ent, and  the  student  who  does  consider  it  will  find  it  a 
matter  of  high  interest,  and  will  be  amply  rewarded  by  the 
increased  elegance  and  beauty  of  the  results  obtained. 

In  the  golden  age  of  L^tin  and  Greek  literature  the 
most  minute  attention  was  given  to  the  quantity  of  syllables, 
and  most  elaborate  and  artistic  devices  were  invented,  in 
which  the  formal  structure  of  poetry  was  laid.  A  study  of 
these  designs  will  be  of  advantage  to  every  musician ;  it 
will  show  whence  our  modern  instrumental  music  takes  its 
origin,  and  furnish  suggestions  for  its  further  advancement. 

The  quantity,  long  or  short,  of  every  vowel  was  consid- 
ered, and  the  juxtaposition  of  consonants  taken  into  account. 
Long  vowels  were,  of  course,  treated  as  such ;  short  vowels 
were  taken  as  short  unless  succeeded  by  two  or  more  con- 
sonants, in  which  case  they  also  were  treated  as  long.  Then 
they  were  arranged  to  fall  into  the  formal  designs  laid  down. 

The  poet  Horace  used  twenty-three  of  these  designs. 
A  few  illustrations  are  here  given,  to  show  the  way  in  which 
they  were  treated. 

a.  Greater  Alcaic :  —  —  |^  —  |  —  [|  —  ^--^  —  \^  — 

b.  Iambic  Dimeter  Hypermeter  :  ^  —  |  -  —  |  --  —  |  - 

c.  Minor  Alcaic :  —  ----|  —  ^-^l  —  ^|  —  ^ 

e.  Adonic  :  —  -  -  | 

/.   Asclepiadic  Choriambic  Tetrameter: 1 —  —  —  | 

g.  Glyconic  : |  —  ^  ^  —  |^  — 

h.  Acephalous  Iambic  Dimeter  :  —  |  --  —  |  --  —  |    --  — 
/.    Iambic  Trimeter  Catalectic :    ^  —  I  -^  —  11  ^  —  I 


The   Value  of  Words  99 

Here  are  the  same  formulae  filled  in  with  words : 

1.  a.   Descende  caelo  et  die  age  tibia 

regina  longum  Calliope  melos, 
b.  seu  voce  nunc  mavis  acuta, 
c.  seu  fidibus  citharave  Phoebi. 

2.  d.  Rectius  vives,  Licini,  neque  altum 

semper  urgendo  neque,  dum  procellas 
cautus  horrescis,  nimium  premendo 
e.  litus  iniquum. 

3.  f.  Crescentem  sequitur  cura  pecuniam 

majorumque  fames.     Jure  perhorrui 
late  conspicuum  tollere  verticem, 
g.   Maecenas,  equitum  decus. 

4.  h.  Non  ebur  neque  aureum 

/'.  mea  renidet  in  domo  lacunar. 

That  learned  and  voluminous  writer,  J.  E.  Ellis,  directs 
that  to  secure  the  correct  manner  of  rendering  the  rhythm 
of  the  above  a  metronome  should  be  used,  and  the  words 
made  to  fit  in  with  its  beats.  But  it  would  appear  that  this 
cannot  truly  represent  the  original  method,  for  there  must 
have  been  subtle  differences  to  be  noticed  in  an  artistic  per- 
formance beyond  the  mere  rough  division  into  long  and 
short.  A  dipthong  must  have  taken  longer  to  pronounce 
than  a  simple  long  vowel  ;  three  consonants  must  have 
taken  longer  than  two.  The  true  rendering  would  probably 
give  a  kind  of  tempo  rubato  ;  a  rhythm  strict  yet  at  the  same 
time  free,  firm  yet  flexible  —  the  true  rhythm  of  all  cultured 
speech,  and  the  true  rhythm  of  cultured  singing. 

By  changing  the  signs  —  and  ^  into  musical  notes,  what 
looks  like  a  piece  of  modern  instrumental  rhythm  appears. 
But  there  is  an  important  difference.  In  modern  music 
each  successive  measure  occupies  nominally  the  same  por- 
tion of  time  as  its  fellows  ;  in  the  rhythm  we  are  considering, 
the  measures  vary  in  length,  thus  conveying  to  the  modern 
mind  an  idea  of  prose. 


loo  'J'/ie  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

a.    S        S\dc)\<zi\\ei        JJ<=f|J<J 

I      I     M    I       I'M      III      I 

,.    J        J     IJ       J     I  J        J      J     IJ        J    I  J 


J 


II  I 


I  I     I       I  II  III  I 

P-.     <=*         d     \   ^         4       4      (^     \    »      d 


J 


I  I  J  I 

4      <^     \   4      <=) 


I         I     I     I       J     |l     J         I     I     1       J     |l     J       J     i    J 

The  care  and  labour  expended  by  the  old  poets  upon 
the  writing  of  poetry  in  these  designs  is  almost  incredible ; 
and  its  study  is  fascinating  and  engrossing. 

The  thing  called  accentus  in  the  ancient  languages  was 
not  at  all  what  we  mean  by  the  word  *  accent/  but  referred 
to  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  voice  in  speaking ;  and  to  this 
also  an  immense  amount  of  attention  was  given,  Cicero, 
Quintilian  and  others  having  written  treatises  upon  it.  To- 
day accent  means  stress^  which  seems  to  have  had  little 
place  in  ancient  speech.  Its  dominating  presence  in  Eng- 
lish prevents  complete  freedom  in  dealing  with  the  quantity 
of  vowels  and  consonants,  but  it  by  no  means  either  pre- 
vents the  bestowal  of  care  upon  it,  or  renders  such  care  un- 
necessary. 

Stress-accent  is  of  three  kinds,  syllabic,  verbal  (or  logi- 
cal), and  structural.  The  first  is  the  unvarying  emphasis 
on  a  certain  syllable  in  every  word  of  more  than  one  sylla- 
ble ;  the  second,  the  particular  emphasis  upon  a  certain 
word  or  words  in  any  sentence  to  mark  its  importance  (and 
this  may  vary  greatly  according  to  the  sense  which  it  is  de- 
sired to  convey) ;  the  third  is  the  emphasis  upon  certain 
clauses  or  sentences  which  require  special  prominence. 

Stress-accent  does  not  exclude  considerations  of  quantity, 
but  combines  quite  easily  with  them.  The  teacher  of  elo- 
cution and  of  true  singing  will  find  little  trouble  with  the 
former ;  he  should  give  much  attention  to  the  latter. 


The   Value  of  Words  'oi 

The  chief  difficulty  in  considering  quantity  in  English 
is  the  impossibility  of  dividing  into  syllables  merely  short 
and  long. 

There  are  many  intermediate  stages.  These  will  be- 
come manifest  by  analysis  and  experience.  Though  they 
increase  the  difficulty,  they  also  increase  the  interest  to  a 
corresponding  extent.  As  an  illustration,  the  first  sentence 
of  the  service  of  Morning  Prayer  may  be  taken  : 

To  begin  with,  the  obviously  long  and  short  syllables 
will  be  marked  : 

*  Almighty  and  most  merciful  Father.' 

Then,  of  the  long  syllables,  those  possessing  a  stress- 
accent  will  take  additional  time  : 

*  Almighty  and  most  merciful  Father.' 

But  the  three  consonants  after  *  most '  will  give  it  addi- 
tional weight ;  therefore  it  also  may  take  a  double  mark  : 

'  most' 

The  three  consonants  after  the  short  '  and  '  will  increase 
it,  so  therefore  it  will  take  more  time  than  ' -ty '  and  ' -ci ', 
thus  : 

*and ' 

'-ful '  is  followed  by  two  consonants.  It  will  take  more 
time  than  the  shortest  syllable,  but  not  so  much  as  '  and.' 
It  may  be  marked  thus  : 

'  -ful ' 

The  last  syllable  * -ther '  will  take  less  time  than  *  Al-'. 
It  may  be  marked  : 

*  -ther.' 

A  slight  difference  might  also  be  observed  between  the 
final  *■  -ty  '  of  the  first  word  and  *  -ci- '  in  *  merciful  ';  but  it 
is  perhaps  impossible  to  express  this  on  paper.  The  whole 
sentence  will  now  appear: 

*  Almighty  and  most  mercTful  Father.' 


I02  T/ie  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

No  less  than  six  different  quantities  have  now  been  ar- 
rived at,  and  it  is  possible  that  a  minute  examination  might 
detect  even  more.  Other  sentences  should  be  studied  in 
the  same  way,  and  with  the  same  attention. 

At  first  sight  this  plan  may  seem  both  unnecessary  and 
impossible  to  the  student  new  to  the  subject.  But  he  need 
not  feel  discouraged.  He  must  not  be  tempted  to  think 
either  that  he  will  never  acquire  proficiency  himself  or  that 
he  will  never  be  able  to  impart  his  knowledge  to  his  disci- 
ples. It  is  the  first  steps  that  are  difficult ;  and  it  is  the 
first  steps  that  are  of  the  greatest  importance.  The  mere 
thinking  of  these  points  will  give  fresh  interest  to  the  whole 
study  of  speech-sounds,  and  the  mere  rough  directions  to 
the  singers  as  to  short  and  long  will  give  new  life  to  their 
efforts,  and  supply  a  ring  of  reality  to  all  their  work.  As  a 
guiding  principle  at  the  outset,  it  should  be  the  aim  to 
'  make  every  syllable  long,  unless  you  are  quite  sure  it 
should  be  short.'  If  this  is  carefully  and  persistently  en- 
forced, all  the  rest  will  follow  with  little  effort. 


CHAPTER    II 

WORDS   AND   MUSIC 

In  ancient  times  words  and  music  were  always  combined 
in  poetry.  To-day  it  is  said  that  a  poet  '  sings  '  whcii  it  is 
meant  that  he  writes  down  his  beautiful  thoughts  in  beauti- 
ful words.  The  word  '  sing '  is  used  in  a  purely  figurative 
sense.  But  in  early  times,  before  printing  made  the  mul- 
tiplication of  written  words  and  music  easy,  the  poet  used 
to  recite  his  own  verses,  and  this,  not  in  the  ordinary  speak- 
ing voice,  but  with  fixed  musical  inflexions,  producing  a 
kind  of  '  plain-song.'  Here  the  words  were  not  fettered 
by  the  music,  as  is  often  the  case  to-day,  but  retained  their 
own  force  and  freedom,  with  the  added  charm  and  strength 
gained  by  musical  variations  in  pitch.     Of  the  exact  nature 


Words  and  Music  103 

of  this  music  we  must  perforce  remain  in  ignorance  ;  the  tra- 
ditions of  its  rendering  are  entirely  lost,  and  attempts  to 
decipher  it  result  only  in  conjectural  readings  which  may  or 
may  not  approach  the  original  to  a  certain  extent.  But  the 
general  principle  upon  which  it  was  constructed  is  as  clear 
as  daylight.  It  was  the  reinforcing  the  sense  of  the  words, 
and  the  revealing,  in  a  fuller  and  more  convincing  manner 
than  is  possible  with  mere  speech,  their  underlying  sense. 

This  principle  remained  and  held  sway  until  the  advent 
of  instrumental  music  as  we  now  know  it  —  only  some  four 
or  five  hundred  years  ago.  It  then,  encroached  upon  and 
pushed  aside  by  its  powerful  rival, gradually  lost  ground, until 
almost  forgotten.  In  the  circling  changes  of  evolution,  it 
is  now  again  coming  to  the  front,  and  promises  to  be  one  of 
the  striking  characteristics  of  the  music  of  the  future.  It 
is  remarkable  that  the  old  formal  rhythms  of  classical  po- 
etry have  their  counterpart  to-day  in  the  varying  formal 
rhythms  of  instrumental  music.  The  art  of  combining 
long  and  short  in  formal  designs  passed  away  from  verbal 
composition  to  reappear  in  pure  musical  composition. 

The  formal  inflexions  of  the  classical  languages  find  a 
counterpart  in  the  formal  inflexions  of  Ecclesiastical  ritual 
music,  handed  down  to  us  through  the  centuries  which  di- 
vide the  present  day  from  the  dawn  of  the  Christian  era. 

The  simplest  inflexion  of  Ecclesiastical  song  consists  of 
a  mere  rising  or  falling  of  the  voice  at  the  termination  of  a 
clause ;  e.g.^ 

A.  The  mediation  of  the  2nd  tone  : 


which  is  the  same  in  the  Litany  chant. 

B.  The  cadence  of  the  4th  tone,  ist  ending: 


These  were  gradually  developed  by  increasing  the 
number  of  rising  and  falling  notes,  until  phrases  of  great 
elaboration  were  reached.  Florid  figures  appeared  at  vari- 
ous points  in  a  tune,  producing  endless  variety  but  always 


I04  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

perfectly  free,  and  governed  by  the  words.  Such  a  thing 
as  our  barred  rhythm  has  no  counterpart  in  any  of  the  old 
ecclesiastical  music.  All  the  notes  were  not,  of  course,  and 
could  not  have  been,  of  the  same  length ;  but  their  regula- 
tion appears  to  have  depended  invariably  on  the  taste  of  the 
performer  and  the  requirements  of  the  words.  Notes  of 
various  shapes  are  found,  and  the  shape  had  some  bearing 
upon  the  length ;  but  this  must  have  been  only  in  a  free 
and  approximate  way. 

This  matter  is  clearly  dealt  with  by  the  Benedictines  of 
Stanbrook  in  their  book  'Gregorian  Music'  (1879)*. 
The  following  passage  is  of  interest : 

"  Firstly,  with  regard  to  the  Virga.  We  have  seen  that 
in  the  system  of  neum-accents  it  originally  consisted  of  a 
tail  only  (/)  and  that  its  head  was  added  to  specify  the  note  ; 
whilst  in  the  neum-point  system,  by  the  irony  of  fate,  it 
consisted  of  only  a  head  and  became  possessed  of  a  tail  by 
evolution.  So  much  for  facts.  After  the  introduction  of 
the  staff,  the  Virga  had  no  longer  the  same  raison  d'etre  as 
before  (the  notes  being  then  determined,  not  by  the  form  of 
the  sign,  but  by  its  position  on  the  staff),  and  it  became  a 
mere  matter  of  choice  whether  a  Virga  or  a  punctum  [i.e.y 
a  tailed  note  or  a  square)  should  be  used  for  a  single  note. 
In  most  MSS.,  the  Virga  is  employed  arbitrarily,  but  in 
some  it  is  pretty  generally  used  for  the  first  syllable  of  each 
word,  in  others  for  the  last,  while  in  others  it  is  invariably 
employed  for  every  note  standing  alone.  It  is  plain  then 
that  to  the  minds  of  those  who  used  the  Virga  in  such  va- 
ried ways,  the  tailed  note  had  no  value  as  to  time. 

"  The  same  is  to  be  said  of  diamond  notes.  Their  form 
is  due  simply  to  their  being  made  with  a  broad  pen  'held 
obliquely. 

"  How  surprised  the  good  old  monastic  scribes  would 
be,  could  they  hear  the  theories  evolved  from  the  accidental 
squares,  tails,  or  diamonds  traced  by  their  unwitting  pens. 
They  would  learn  the  importance  of  a  tailed  note,  the  re- 
spectable mediocrity  of  a  square,  and  the  insignificance  of  a 
diamond. 

*  New  York,  Benziger  Bros. 


Words  and  Music  '^5 

"  We  do  not,  however,  mean  to  say  that  in  Plain  Chant 
all  the  notes  are  of  absolutely  equal  length,  for  this  is  far 
from  the  truth.  The  principle  which  we  would  insist  on  is 
this  —  that  one  must  not  seek  indications  of  time  value  of 
a  note  in  its  shape^  for  this  value  depends,  not  on  the  shape 
of  the  note,  but,  if  we  may  say  so,  on  circumstances,  and 
chiefly  on  the  words  to  which  the  music  is  set. 

"  Practically,  the  important  point  to  remember  is  that 
in  Plain-chant  the  notes  have  no  value  of  their  own^  but  only 
that  of  the  syllables  to  which  they  are  sung." 

This  might  appear  to  settle  the  question  as  to  the  length 
of  the  notes  in  mediasval  music ;  but  in  the  introduction  to 
Merbeclce's  Common  Praier  Noted  (1549)  the  following 
directions  are  found  : 

"  In  this  booke  is  conteyned  so  much  of  the  Order  of 
Common  Prayer  as  is  to  be  song  in  Churches  :  wherein  are 

used  only  these  iiii.  sortes  of  notes.  r,  }  -^«  _| — f — ^  1 
The  first  is  a  strene  note,  and  is  a  breue.  The  second  is  a 
square  note,  and  is  a  semybreue.  The  iii.  a  prycke,  and  is 
a  mynymne.  And  when  there  is  a  prycke  by  the  square 
note,  that  prycke  is  half  as  muche  as  the  note  that  goeth 
before  it.  The  iiii.  is  a  close,  and  is  only  used  at  y^  end  of 
a  verse";  showing  that  at  that  time  there  was  certainly  some 
idea  that  the  shape  of  the  note  did  govern  the  length.  But 
a  perusal  of  Merbecke's  actual  setting  indicates  again  that 
the  directions  given  must  have  been  intended  for  the  guid- 
ance of  beginners,  rather  than  as  hard  and  fast  rules  ;  for 
they  cannot  possibly  be  applied  literally  without  distorting 
the  words. 

All  old  music,  as  the  student  will  remember,  was  in 
unison  ;  but  the  gradual  evolution  of  vocal  harmony  which 
began  dimly  somewhere  about  the  ninth  century,  and  at- 
tained such  a  pinnacle  of  perfection  in  the  sixteenth,  had  a 
most  important  efl^ect  upon  the  ecclesiastical  chant.  At 
first,  harmonized  music  was  as  free  in  its  rendering  as  uni- 
sonal, but  as  its  complications  increased,  and  the  intricacy 
of  cross-rhythms,  and  multiplication  of  parts,  came  into  use, 
the  difficulty  of  keeping  the  various  voices  together  when 


io6  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

singing  with  their  old  freedom  became  manifest.  This  lib- 
erty became  more  and  more  restricted,  until  in  the  eighteenth 
century  it  was  altogether  lost,  and  the  tyranny  of  the  bar 
asserted  itself. 

With  the  revived  appreciation  and  use  of  the  masterpieces 
of  the  sixteenth  century,  is  now  coming  a  clearer  view  as  to 
their  correct  rendering.  The  free,  flowing  rhythm  of  the 
early  unisonal  music  was  originally  apparent  in  the  early 
harmonized  music ;  with  only  the  restriction  necessary  for 
keeping  the  voices  together,  the  words  still  led,  the  music 
followed,  and  a  perfect  expression  of  the  sense  and  feeling 
of  the  words  was  the  result. 

The  student  is  recommended  to  make  a  constant  and 
diligent  study  of  the  above  subject.  Space  forbids  further 
examination  here  ;  but  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  the 
choirmaster  whose  function  it  is  to  deal  with  church  music, 
and  will  give  him  his  true  foundations  upon  which  to  build 
habits  of  thought.  The  conclusion  of  it  all  is,  that  in  the 
beginning  of  ecclesiastical  music  the  words  were  rendered 
with  perfect  freedom  ;  when  pure  choral  music  developed, 
they  still  retained  all  the  essentials  of  this  freedom ;  to-day, 
although  the  voices  are  sometimes  hampered  and  confined 
by  instrumental  accompaniment,  yet  they  can  still  be  dealt 
with  by  the  skilled  teacher  in  the  old  spirit  and  can  fre- 
quently be  made  to  go  upon  the  old  lines. 


CHAPTER    III 

THE  FIXED  PLAIN-SONG  OF  THE  SERVICE  (MONOTONES') 

In  England  the  Choral  Service  —  /.<f.,  the  service  in 
which  ecclesiastical  monotone  is  alternated  with  the  tra- 
ditional inflexions  —  has  made  very  rapid  strides  in  the  last 
few  years.  From  having  been  considered,  only  a  few  years 
ago,  a  strange  and  exotic  thing  in  parish  churches,  it  is  now 
looked  upon  as  quite  a  usual  and  ordinary  thing.  Would 
that  the  standard  of  its  rendering  had  progressed  at  the 
same  pace  ! 


Monotones  ^©7 


In  the  American  Church  the  introduction  (or  rather  the 
restoration)  of  the  Choral  Service  has  been  much  slower. 
In  some  regions  it  is  practically  unknown,  even  where  large 
highly  paid  choirs  are  maintained,  and  other  parts  of  the 
service  rendered  in  an  elaborate  manner. 

The  fixed  Plain-Song  of  the  service  sung  by  the  choir 
consists  of: 

(i)  Monotones  —  the  General  Confession,  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  the  Creeds,  etc. 

(2)  The  Versicles  and  Responses. 

(3)  The  Litany. 

(4)  Portions  of  the  Communion  Service. 

I.   Monotones 

The  first  monotone  taken  by  the  choir  will  be  the  Gen- 
eral Confession,  and  to  this  the  writer  would  urge  that  the 
most  careful  attention  should  be  given.  Those  unaccus- 
tomed to  taking  pains  over  it  are  often  surprised,  when  they 
look  into  the  matter,  to  find  how  many  mistakes  have  been 
overlooked,  how  much  work  and  care  is  required  to  remedy 
these,  and  how  great  satisfaction  will  be  gained  by  doing 
this  in  a  thorough  and  systematic  way.  I  always  think 
that,  from  the  point  of  view  of  efficiency,  the  rendering  of 
the  General  Confession  is  the  very  keystone  of  a  choir's 
work. 

The  choirmaster's  first  difficulty  will  be  to  overcome  the 
reluctance  of  the  members  to  give  their  best  attention  to  it. 
Some  will  consider  it  beneath  their  dignity  to  practise  words 
which  they  think  they  know  by  heart;  others  will  be  im- 
patient to  hurry  on  to  '  the  anthem,'  or  something  else  they 
consider  equally  attractive.  All  this  must  be  resolutely  re- 
sisted. Constant  persistence  and  perseverance  must  be 
shown  until  the  result  is  achieved,  and  then  further  practice 
must  be  given  to  maintain  the  standard. 

In  choral  monotoning  all  the  following  points  should  be 
carefully  kept  in  view  : 

a.  Accuracy  of  pitch, 

b.  Vocal  tone. 


io8  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

c.  Vowel-quality, 

d.  Distinctness  of  consonants, 

e.  Stress-accent, 
/.  Quantity, 

g.  Phrasing, 

h.  Pace, 

/.    Volume  of  tone. 

These  are  placed  in  logical  sequence,  and  in  each  stage 
of  practice  may  be  separately  dealt  with ;  later,  they  must 
all  be  combined.     Some  will  give  more  trouble  than  others. 

The  writer  feels  strongly  that  all  this  trouble  is  well 
worth  while,  merely  to  gain  the  rendering  of  these  simple 
and  beautiful  sentences  of  pure  English  in  perfect  taste, 
which  implies  perfect  reverence ;  yet  it  will  be  an  addi- 
tional encouragement  to  the  teacher  to  remember  that  every 
moment  of  the  time  spent  upon  these  words  will,  directly 
or  indirectly,  help  him  with  something  else  ;  as  every  point 
noticed  is  a  point  that  will  recur  at  another  place.  It  will 
now  be  supposed  that  we  are  starting  to  practise  the  Confes- 
sion : 

Almighty  and  most  merciful  Father. 

The  first  syllable,  '  Al,'  should  receive  the  full  vowel- 
sound  of  *  aw,'  but  the  second  syllable  must  take  the 
stress-accent  —  an  important  point  frequently  overlooked; 
in  fact,  it  seems  to  be  the  aim  of  some  choirs,  when  left  to 
themselves,  to  place  an  accent  invariably  upon  the  first 
and  the  last  syllables  of  each  sentence,  apparently  from 
over-anxiety  to  secure  a  prompt  start  at  the  beginning,  and 
a  desire  to  keep  up  the  pitch  at  the  end.  This  painful 
mistake  must  be  rigidly  excluded. 

The  third  syllable,  '  ty,' .  should  be  carefully  rendered, 
and  must  not  be  run  into  the  succeeding  vowel. 

'And '  is  very  seldom  correctly  given.  All  three  ele- 
ments, one  vowel  and  two  consonants,  should  be  distinctly 
heard ;  one,  two,  or  even  the  three,  are  sometimes  omitted 
by  inefficient  choirs. 

*  Most.'  —  Here  the  *o'  should  be  well  rounded,  and 


Monotones  io9 


the  final  consonants  clearly  sounded  ;  the  last  is  usually 
omitted.  The  word  should  receive  sufficient  accent  to 
show  its  importance  in  the  sentence. 

*  Merciful.' — This  word  is  frequently  mispronounced. 
Its  quantity  should  be  noticed  ( —  -  ==),  the  first  vowel 

should  have  its  true  sound,  the  pace  should  not  be  hurried. 

*  Father.'  —  Often  mispronounced  by  a  false  accent  on 
the  second  syllable. 

JVe  have  erred^  and  strayed  from  thy  ways  like  lost  sheep. 

Notice,  first,  that  this  sentence  contains  a  parallel,  like 
the  majority  of  Psalm  verses,  therefore  the  voice  should 
dwell  slightly  upon  '  erred.'  This  is  important.  IVe  have 
erred,  but  the  sheep  have  only  strayed. 

Avoid  a  false  accent  on  *  We.' 

Pronounce  *  and  '  correctly. 

Sound  the  '  d  '  in  *  strayed.' 

*■  From,'  though  unaccented,  should  be  distinctly  ren- 
dered. 

*  Thy  ways  '  should  each  have  equal  length. 

*  Like  lost  sheep.'  —  One  of  the  pitfalls  for  boys. 
Make  them  pronounce  every  consonant,  '  k,'  *  st,'  *  p  '  — 
all  generally  omitted. 

We  have  followed  too  much  the  devices  and  desires  of  our 
own  hearts. 

Notice,  first,  that  the  logical  accent  of  the  sentence  falls 
on  *  too  much  ':  this  is  what  we  have  to  repent  of.  Again 
avoid  the  false  accent  on  '  we.' 

*  Have  followed.'  The  *  v  '  and  '  f '  coming  together 
will  cause  trouble;  pronounce  them  both. 

*  The.'  —  Few  will  need  the  reminder  that  here,  and 
elsewhere,  the  rule  of  pronunciation  is  that  the  sound 
should  be  '  thu  '  before  a  consonant  and  '  thee  '  before  a 
vowel. 

'  Devices  and  desires  '  —  another  pitfall.  I  have  heard 
the  rendering  '  device  u  desires.'  Give  each  syllable  care- 
ful attention. 

'  Of  our  own  hearts.*  —  The  chief  accent  will  be  on  *own.* 
Sound  the  '  ts  '  in  '  hearts  '  distinctly. 


"o  The  Choirirainers   Art 

We  have  offended  against  thy  holy  laws. 
The  first  three  syllables,  being  all   unaccented  and   of 
short  quantity,  require  special  attention. 

The  last  consonant  in  *  offended '  is  frequently  omitted 

*  Thy  holy  laws .'  —  Three  accented  long  syllables. 
Open  out  the  *  o '  in  *  holy.' 

IVe  have  left  undone  those  things  which  we  ought  to  have 
done. 

*■  Left  undone.*  —  Three  short  vowels,  lengthened  by 
consonants  and  logical  importance. 

'  Which  we  ought  .*  —  A  difficult  series.  Pronounce 
well  the  '  ch,'  and  the  *  t';  and  take  each  word  dehberately. 

*  To  have  done.'  —  *  Have  '  frequently  suffers  :  attend 
to  it. 

The  above  sentence  is  a  good  illustration  of  our  rule 
that  *  every  syllable  should  be  treated  as  long  unless  you 
are  quite  sure  it  is  short'  (p.  102).  In  fourteen  syllables 
there  is  only  one  ('to')  which  is  undoubtedly  short.  It 
may  be  mentioned,  that  whenever  this  little  word  appears  as 
part  of  the  verb  infinite,  it  should  be  taken  very  lightly, 
with  the  vowel-sound  of  the  short  *  06.' 

And  we  have  done  those  things  which  we  ought  not  to  have 
done. 

Notice  the  three  *  t's  '  towards  the  end.  The  emphasis 
should  fall  on  *not.' 

And  there  is  no  health  in  us. 

Again  notice  the  '  and.'     Dwell  upon  ^  no  health.' 

But  thou,  O  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  miserable  offenders. 

Here  there  are  several  important  points.  As  regards 
phrasing,  do  not  separate  *  O  Lord  '  from  the  rest  of  the 
sentence,  as  is  so  often  done.  Commas,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered, may  be  grammatical  or  rhetorical.  The  former  do 
not,  as  a  rule,  require  any  break  in  continuity.  *  O  Lord  ' 
is  in  apposition  to  *  thou,'  and  does  not  introduce  a  new 
thought.  The  requirements  of  the  first  comma  will  be  met 
by  dwelling  slightly  upon  *  thou ';  the  second  should  be 
disregarded. 


Words  and  Music  m 

*  Mercy  upon.'  —  This  phrase,  occurring  so  often  in  the 
service,  is  usually  incorrectly  taken.  The  two  vowels  '  y  ' 
and  '  u '  should  not  be  merged,  but  distinctly  and  sepa- 
rately sounded  with  the  slightest  possible  division  between 
them. 

*■  Miserable  offenders.'  —  The  group  of  five  short  sylla- 
bles between  the  two  accents  requires  care.  They  should 
not  be  hurried,  but  be  taken  neatly  and  evenly.  The  '  o  ' 
is  short ;  it  is  sometimes  treated  as  long. 

Spare  thou  those^  {them)*  O  God^  who  {which)  confess 
their  faults. 

Notice  the  phrasing  again,  and  treat  '  O  God '  in  the 
same  way  as  '  O  Lord.' 

Here  is  another  case  of  a  sentence  with  only  one  syl- 
lable to  be  treated  as  short. 

Restore  those  who  {them  that)  are  penitent. 

The  triplet  in  *  penitent '  is  important,  and  here  is  an- 
other case  where  the  choir-member  loves  to  dwell  upon  the 
final  syllable,  when  it  is  obviously  incorrect. 

According  to  thy  promises  declared  unto  mankind  in  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord. 

Long  as  this  sentence  is,  it  is  necessary  that  it  should  be 
taken  as  one  phrase  in  one  breath  ;  otherwise  the  sense  is 
obscured.     A  little  thought  will  show  the  reason  of  this. 

If  a  break  had  to  be  made,  it  would  be  after  'promises,' 
not,  as  is  customary,  after  *  mankind.' 

Choirs  seldom  pronounce  'according  '  neatly. 

'Christ  Jesus'  is  difficult  to  render;  the  three  adjacent 
consonants  should  all  be  sounded. 

*  Our  Lord '  should  both  be  long,  and  the  final  *  d  '  dis- 
tinct. 

And  grants  O  most  merciful  Father^  for  his  sake. 

One  continuous  phrase. 

Take  care  over  the  '  d.' 

'  O  most  merciful '  —  three  words  requiring  attention. 
The  '  o's  '  should  be  round  and  full ;  the  *  st '  distinct ;  the 
trisyllable  even. 

*  The  words  in  brackets  arc  those  in  the  English  Prayer  Book. 


112  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

*  His  sake.'  —  The  two  '  s's  '  (of  which  the  first  is,  of 
course,  actually  a  *  z')  must  be  quite  distinct. 

That  we  may  hereafter  live  a  godly ^  righteous^  and  sober 
life. 

A  break  in  the  phrasing  after  *  godly  '  is  almost  uni- 
versal, but  is  obviously  wrong.  The  requirements  of  the 
commas  are  met  by  dwelling  upon  the  preceding  word ;  a 
break  in  continuity  destroys  the  sense.  The  three  adjec- 
tives should  be  dwelt  upon  with  equal  force. 

To  the  glory  of  thy  holy  Name. 

*  To  the.'  —  Light  and  distinct. 

*  Glory.'  —  The  chief  vowel  very  full. 

*  Thy  holy  name.'  —  The  three  long  vowels  should  be 
given  equal  weight,  with  perhaps  a  little  extra  force  on 
'holy.' 

The  above  analytical  criticism  may  perhaps  strike  the 
reader  at  first  sight  as  somewhat  too  minute,  but  further 
thought  will  show  that  it  is  of  vital  necessity.  All  the 
points  indicated  are  essential  to  the  correct  enunciation  of 
the  English  language  ;  it  ought  to  be  considered  a  disgrace 
to  ignore  any  one  of  them. 

When  they  have  all  been  observed,  it  is  probable  that  the 
first  desideratum,  accuracy  of  pitch,  will  be  found  to  be  less 
difficult  to  achieve  than  had  previously  been  supposed. 

The  writer  would  again  take  the  opportunity  of  urging 
a  strong  plea  in  favour  of  determined  insistence  upon  this 
foundation.  It  seems  almost  incredible  that  sinking  in 
pitch,  instead  of  being  the  exception,  is  at  present  undoubt- 
edly the  ru4e  in  Church  choirs.  The  one  obstacle  to  its 
removal  is  the  idea  held  by  so  many  choirmasters  that  it 
is  inevitable,  with  a  consequent  lessened  sense  of  its  de- 
plorable culpability.  A  choir  that  cannot  recite  a  few 
simple  sentences  upon  the  pitch  it  intends  them  to  hold, 
but  confesses  its  helpless  inability  to  do  so,  ought  to  be 
ashamed  to  show  its  face  at  all. 

A  monotone  is  not  a  monotone  if  it  moves  from  one 
pitch  to  another ;  it  is  a  gradual  descent,  for  which  there  is 


Words  and  Music  >i3 

no  name  in  the  vocabulary  of  art.  It  is  a  thing  that  is 
wrong,  for  which  no  defence  ever  has  been,  or  ever  can  be, 
attempted.  It  is  a  thing  that  every  musician  of  taste  should 
make  it  his  business  to  exterminate  with  all  possible  speed. 

The  best,  and  only,  advice  as  to  how  to  do  this  is  : 
*  Sapere  aude'; 
Incipe.'* 

Let  it  be  known  xkvaX  flattening  is  against  the  rules  of  the 
choir ;  and  that  its  abolition  must  precede  all  advance  in 
other  directions.  When  this  stand  is  taken  the  fault  will 
soon  disappear,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned,  and  to 
the  strengthening  of  the  art  work  all  along  the  line. 

The  writer  has  often  been  asked  by  earnest  and  dis- 
heartened choirmasters  for  directions  how  to  abolish  flat- 
tening. He  always  gives  the  same  advice  :  Believe  in  your 
power  to  do  it,  and  insist  upon  it  until  it  is  done. 

Two  other  points  remain  —  pace,  and  volume. 

The  pace  of  a  monotone  should  be  moderate;  not  so 
quick  as  to  give  a  sense  of  hurry,  not  so  slow  as  to  induce 
weariness.  The  right  pace  will  be  secured  by  allowing 
sufficient  time  to  enunciate  every  verbal  element  distinctly, 
and  no  more. 

The  volume  of  tone  will  vary  with  the  words.  The 
Prayer  Book  directs  that  the  Confession  be  taken  *  with  an 
humble  voice.'  This  may  be  interpreted  as  a  soft,  quiet 
tone.  The  tone  may  be  somewhat  increased  for  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  and  still  further  for  the  Creed,  which  should  be 
taken  in  a  firm  and  decided  manner. 

The  question  of  pitch  for  a  monotone  is  important. 
The  custom  has  been  general  of  taking  a  higher  note  than 
is  necessary.  There  is  no  reason  for  retaining  the  favorite 
G.  For  the  Confession  it  is  best  to  employ  E  for  a  large 
building,  and  D  for  a  small  one.  For  the  Creed,  F  is  of- 
ten quite  high  enough,  or  even  E. 

The  student  should  examine  and  analyze  the  Lord's 
Prayer  and  the  Creed  in  the  same  way  as  we  have  done  the 
Confession.  The  writer  has  found  it  helpful  to  have  the 
Confession  written  out  on  a  separate  card  for  choir  use, 

*  Dare  to  be  wbc;  begin. 


^'4  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

with  all    the  important  points  of  rendering  indicated    by 
special  marks,  thus  : 

Almighty  and  m5st  merciful  Father. 
That  we  may   hereafter  live  a  godly,  *  righteous  and 
s5ber  life. 

Red  marks  over  words  =  long.     Green  marks  below  = 
distinct.     *  =  no  pause. 


CHAPTER    IV 

THE  FIXED  PLAIN-SONG   (continued) 

2.  The  Versicles  and  Responses.     3.  The   Litany. 

4.  The  Amen 

Misunderstanding  is  widespread  as  to  the  correct  ren- 
dering of  the  Versicles  and  Responses.  It  is  caused  by  the 
way  in  which  the  music  is  now  almost  universally  printed. 

When  the  reader  understands  what  the  Versicles  and 
Responses  are,  and  whence  they  came,  he  will  know  how 
they  should  be  rendered. 

It  is  usual  to  speak  of  the  '  Ferial '  and  *  Festal '  Re- 
sponses. There  does  not  appear  to  be  any  authority  for 
this  distinction  ;  but  it  is  harmless.  The  first  term  refers 
to  the  ancient  plain-song,  generally  used  in  a  harmonized 
form  with  the  principal  part  at  the  top  ;  the  second,  to  the 
same,  harmonized  with  the  original  melody  in  the  tenor. 

This  principal  part,  or  melody,  or  tune,  is  simply  a 
monotone  with  an  inflected  ending.  Its  rendering,  as, re- 
gards relative  pace,  should  be  precisely  the  same  as  a  mono- 
tone without  inflexions  ;  the  inflexions  affect  the  pitch,  not 
the  pace.  This  is  shown  by  a  glance  at  the  original  setting 
in  Merbecke. 


O    lorde,  shew  thy     mer-cy  vp-on   us. 
And  graunt  vs  thy  sal-ua  -  ti  -on.. 


The  Fixed  Plain- Song  1^5 

Most  unfortunately  the  phrases  have  been  distorted  into  va- 
rious shapes  by  the  efforts  of  editors  to  fit  the  music  to  the 
words  with  modern  notation,  generally  with  the  result  that 
the  singers  imagine  that  the  first  part  of  the  sentence  should 
be  hurried  and  the  inflected  emphasized.  This  takes  away 
all  the  beauty  from  the  passages,  and  has  caused  much  pre- 
judice against  the  Choral  Service.  When  properly  sung, 
the  effect  is  singularly  impressive  and  convincing,  and  is 
quite  a  revelation  to  those  accustomed  to  another  manner. 

It  would  probably  be  a  great  improvement  to  take  these 
phrases  as  they  were  originally  intended  to  be  sung,  in  uni- 
son, without  harmony  either  for  the  voices  or  the  accom- 
paniment. In  future  developments  perhaps  this  plan  will 
come  into  use.  The  incessant  use  of  harmony  throughout 
the  service  at  every  possible  point,  has  certainly  not  been 
an  unmixed  good  in  Church  music.  The  bold,  straight- 
forward effect  of  unison  singing,  both  here  and  at  other 
places,  is  a  thing  that  ought  not  to  be  lost. 

It  will  now  be  of  value  to  consider  the  rendering  of  both 
the  Versicles  and  Responses  ;  though  only  the  latter  are 
sung  by  the  choir,  the  two  are  so  intimately  connected  that 
success  can  be  achieved  only  by  comparing  them  together. 

— fl — ■ — ♦— • — ^— ■ — ^ — 

O     Lord,    o-fx;n    thou    our    lips. 

Take  this  in  the  same  manner  as  any  other  monotone ; 
dwell  on  the  three  opening  '  o's.' 

■ ■ ■ ■- — ■ ■ ■ ■ 

And    our  mouth  shall  shew  forth  thy    praise. 

Take  at  precisely  the  same  pace  as  the  versicle.  Dwell 
on  '  shew  forth,*  but  not  on  '  thy.* 


^ »— T*z::  dB  -   -«- 


O  God,  make  speed   to      save     us. 

Take  '  make  speed  '  carefully,  with  the  consonants  dis- 
tinct ;  '  to  '  very  lightly  ;  and  accent  *  save.' 

O    Lord,  make  haste   to    help     us. 


ii6  T/ie  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

Take  this  in  precisely  the  same  manner  as  the  preceding, 

Glo  -  ry    be     to      the   Fa  -  ther,    and    to     the  Son,    and    to     the    Ho  -  ly    Ghost. 

The  pace  is  sometimes  too  hurried  here.  A  deliberate, 
quiet  monotone  is  required.  Separate  '  be  to  the,'  pro- 
nounce '  and '  distinctly,  and  be  careful  with  *  Holy  Ghost.' 


As  it  was  in  the  be-gin-ning,  is  now,  and  ev-er  shall  be,  world  without  end.    A-men. 

This  is  often  far  too  hurried.  *  In  the '  should  be  care- 
fully rendered,  and  the  whole  taken  at  a  deliberate  pace, 
with  no  slackening  at  the  end. 

Note.  Here  is  the  place  to  call  attention  to  an  import- 
ant point  In  the  structure  of  this  sentence.  It  consists  of 
four  clauses,  referring  respectively  to  the  past,  the  present, 
the  future,  and  the  further  future  —  eternity.  The  Latin 
makes  this  clear : 

Sicut  erat  in  principio, 
et  nunc, 
et  semper, 

et  in  saecula  sasculorum. 
The  symmetrical  division  of  these  is   not  into  one  against 
three,  as  is  customary,  but  Into  two  against  two,  with  the 
*  Amen '  taken  separately,  as  a  conclusion    to    the    whole 
hymn  ;  thus  : 

(  As  it  was  In  the  beginning, 
(  is  now : 
and  ever  shall  be, 
world  without  end. 
Amen. 

This  rendering  should  be  chosen  here  and  retained 
whenever  the  '  Gloria  Patri '  reappears  in  the  course  of  the 
service. 


^S=-z 


Lord,  have  mer-cy  up-on  us.  Christ,  have  mer-cy  upon  us.  Lord,  have  mer-cy  upon  us. 


The  Fixed  Plain- Song  "7 

The  chief  thing  to  notice  here  is  the  rendering  of  *  mercy 
upon';  pronounce  them  in  the  manner  directed  on  p.  iii. 
Do  not  drag  the  ending. 

Our  Fathery  who  {which)  art  in  heaven^  etc. 

The  priest  should  pronounce  the  first  two  words  alone, 
the  choir  alone  repeating  them  after  him ;  then  all  should 
continue  together. 


0  Lord,  shew    thy      mer  -  cy    up  -  on    us. 

This  commences  with  five  long  syllables.  Give  a  little 
extra  length  to  *  Lord,'  but  do  not  let  '  show  '  and  *  thy  * 
suffer.     Do  not  dwell  unduly  on  '-on,'  as  is  so  often  done. 


And  grant    us      thy     sal  -  va-tion. 

Notice  the  *  d '  in  *  and ';  take  the  whole  sentence 
evenly.  Do  not  dwell  upon  '  thy,'  nor  upon  the  second 
syllable  of  *  salvation.' 


^ 


O    Lord,  save    the    king. 

Make  *  the  '  very  light. 


And   mer -ci-ful-Iy  hear     us    when    we      call     up  -  on  thee. 

Be  careful  with  the  rendering  of  *  mercifully.'  Do  not 
delay  the  ending,  and  do  not  prolong  '  -on.'  Notice  that 
the  logical  accent  falls  upon  '  call,'  not  upon  '  -on  *  or  *  thee.' 


En-due   thy    min  -  is-  ters  with  right-eous-ness. 

Avoid  wrongly  accenting  *  endue  '  and  'ministers.'      Do 
not  extend  '  righteousness.' 


>  ♦^-^  fl:_ji_ 


And  make    thy    chosen  peo-ple    joy-ful. 


'i8  "Yhe  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

Do  not  drag  'joyful.'     The  emphasis  should  be  evenly 
distributed  over  the  four  accented  syllables  of  the  sentence. 


O    Lord,  save    thy     people. 

*  People '  should  be  short.      What  is  the  vowel  of  the 
second  syllable  ? 


^ 


-> — *- 


And  bless  thine    in-her-it-ance. 


*  Thine  '  is  often  wrongly  emphasized.     There  are  two 
accents  in  the  sentence  — '  bless  '  and  '  -her-.' 


^ 


Give  peace  in  our  time,  O  Lord. 

Do  not  emphasize  *  our,'  which  gives  a  selfish  meaning. 
*  Peace  '  is  the  important  word.  '  O  Lord  '  is  often  taken 
too  slowly. 


3E 


Because  there     isnoneoth-er  that  fight-eth  for      us,     but      on-Iy   thou,     6   God. 

Emphasize  '  none  other  '  and  '  only  thou.' 


O     God,  make  clean  our  hearts  with-in     us. 

Sound  the  two  '  k's  '  in  '  make  clean.' 

/7s 

And   take    not     thy     Ho-ly  Spir-it  from     us. 

The  first  three  final  consonants  require  care.  Do  not 
separate  '  Holy  Spirit,'  but  take  breath  after  the  second. 
The  ending  should  be  slightly  slower  than  the  rest,  but  not 
dragged.     The  whole  may  be  taken  very  softly. 

Now  the  prevailing  mistake  in  the  rendering  of  the 
above  is  to  take  the  inflexions  too  heavily.  This  is  in  con- 
sequence of  the  way  the  music  is  at  present  usually 
printed;  minims  (half-notes)  being  used  instead  of  crotchets 
(quarter-notes);  the  performers  so  often  forgetting  the  rule 
that  in  plain-song  the  notes  represent  the  pitch,  not  the 
time-value. 


The  Fixed  Plain- Song 


119 


The  opposite  mistake  occurs  in  the  rendering  of  Tallis's 
Responses,  and  (curiously  enough)  for  the  same  reason. 
Here  the  monotoned  parts  will  be  taken  too  heavily. 

Tallis,  following  the  old  plain-song,  wrote  a  separate 
note  for  each  syllable,  but  there  is  no  indication  to  show 
that  he  had  any  intention  of  changing  its  pace. 

The  modern  singer,  finding  minims  and  semibreves 
written,  concludes  that  these  indicate  slow  time,  and  all  in- 
dication of  the  true  rendering  is  obscured  by  the  insertion 
of  bars  (things  unknown  to  Tallis).  A  clear  idea  of  Tal- 
lis's intentions  is  gained  by  comparing  the  written  notes 
of  the  Responses  with  his  settings  of  Psalm  chanting. 


I  I    \--  rr  ■^-  r  V  '^ 

I   will  talk      of    thy   com-mand-ments :  and    liave     re-spect    un  -  to     thy   ways. 


^=:X::S ;_- 


=P-J 


1- T 


By  some  modern  psalm  pointers  the  former  would  have 
been  written  : 


-^ 


^£3^z 


1 


And  our  mouth  shall  show  |  forth  thy    |  praise. 

I  I 

St-  «>  <»■  iSi- 


the  latter 
b. 


T 


W 


I  will  tilk  of  thy  |  com  mand  |  ments :  and  hdve  re  |  spect  un    |  to     thy    |      ways. 

J—.'  -  -  111 


t.p_r:._ 


I20  T/i0  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

with  the  resultant  *  gabble  '  from  the  singers.  Tallis  meant 
his  Responses  to  be  taken  in  exactly  the  same  way  as  the 
Psalm  verses.  If  the  reader  bears  this  in  mind,  he  will  en- 
tirely alter  the  customary  ponderous  style :  he  will  return 
to  the  composer's  intention,  and  reproduce  a  thing  of 
beauty. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  go  over  all  those  sentences 
again ;  the  remarks  already  made  upon  the  *  Ferial '  Re- 
sponses apply  with  equal  force  to  the  *  Festal.'  It  is  of  in- 
terest to  notice  that  Tallis  has  already  adopted  the  division 
of  the  *  Gloria  Patri '  advocated  in  this  book  upon  p.  1 1 6  ; 
it  is  a  matter  of  surprise  that,  though  this  setting  has  been 
sung  daily  in  our  churches  for  centuries,  it  has  not  occurred 
to  choirmasters  to  follow  its  plan  at  other  points  in  the 
service. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  when  the  *  Ferial '  Responses 
are  in  use  a  return  should  be  made  to  pure  unison.  This 
makes  congregational  singing  easy  and  effective.  When 
the  Tallis  settings  are  used,  the  question  arises  as  to  what 
part  the  congregation  shall  sing,  the  treble  or  the  tenor. 
In  actual  practice  they  always  sing  the  treble,  but  in  some 
places  attempts  are  being  made  to  induce  them  to  sing  the 
tenor  —  the  original  plain-song.  This  is  a  difficult  task, 
and  it  may  well  be  questioned  whether  the  composer  would 
have  advocated  it  himself.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that 
Tallis  wrote  for  a  balanced  Cathedral  choir,  and  though, 
following  the  conventional  use  of  the  day,  he  placed  the 
canto  fermo  in  the  tenor,  it  is  probable  that,  after  the  music 
was  written,  he  regarded  it  as  a  complete  whole,  following 
the  model  of  so  much  contrapuntal  music  of  the  period. 

3.  The  Litany 

Not  much  need  be  said  upon  this  if  the  directions  al- 
ready given  for  monotones  and  the  Responses  have  been 
mastered.  The  same  spirit  and  style  should  prevail  in  the 
Litany. 

Here  again  there  are  two  uses  commonly  heard,  the 
*  Ferial '  and  the  *  Festal,*  so  called ;  though  the  Tallis  set- 


The  Fixed  Plain- Song  '^i 

ting  of  the  Litany  is  almost  unknown  compared  with  the 
widespread  use  of  his  Responses. 

A  few  points  may  be  dwelt  upon.  In  the  opening  peti- 
tions a  break  should  be  made  after  *  Father ';  then  the  qual- 
ifying clause  *  of  heaven '  will  follow  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  corresponding  clauses  in  the  second  and  third  petitions. 

*  Have  mercy  upon  us.'  Render  this  as  directed  in  the 
Confession  and  the  Responses  (p.  no). 

*  Miserable  sinners'  requires  the  greatest  care.  The 
third  syllable  of  the  first  word  should  not  be  accented,  as  is 
so  often  the  case.  The  second  word  should  not  be  jerked 
with  the  accent  on  its  second  syllable.  The  quantity  scheme 
is  as  follows : 


The  writer  would  dwell  strongly  upon  this  point,  as  the 
fault  is  so  general  and  so  deep-rooted  that  it  requires  the 
most  persistent  efforts  to  eradicate  it. 

*  Spare  us^  good  Lord' 

The  first  word  should  not  be  held.  The  first  three 
words  form  a  triplet,  thus  : 


ts  ei  (=)  a 

Spare      us,      good      Lord. 

*  Good  Lordy  deliver  us.'' 

The  accent  should  be  placed  upon  the  second  word, 
*  Lord.'  The  last  three  syllables  should  not  be  hurried,  as 
they  usually  are. 

*  Pf^e  beseech  thee  to  hear  uSj  good  Lord.' 

Take  the  first  three  words  deliberately,  with  the  logical 
accent  on  the  second.  *  Hear '  should  not  be  prolonged. 
The  whole  sentence  should  be  smooth  and  even  through- 
out, as  in  good  reading. 

The  Versicles  and  Responses  that  follow  should  be  taken 
in  the  same  manner  as  those  for  Matins  and  Evensong:  it 
will  be  unnecessary  here  to  go  through  the  details. 


12^  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

It  Is  interesting  to  notice  the  printer's  error  after  the 
prayer  *  We  humbly  beseech  thee,'  where  *  Amen  '  has  been 
accidentally  omitted.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that,  with  Prayer 
Book  revision  in  the  air,  this  mistake  will  soon  be  corrected. 

4.  The  Amen 

In  a  well-rendered  choral  service  the  singing  of  the 
*  Amens '  will  be  one  of  the  most  striking  features.  Though 
this  may  appear  a  simple  matter,  it  is  yet  one  to  which  con- 
siderable attention  should  be  given  by  choirmaster  and 
choir. 

As  to  the  choice  of  cadence,  it  seems  unfortunate  that 
the  authentic  cadence 


A  -  men. 


has  become  so  common.  In  Merbecke  the  only  'Amen* 
given  is  on  the  monotone ;  this  therefore  has  authority. 

The  Amen  is  certainly  a  part  of  the  service  in  which  the 
congregation  is  expected  to  join.  But  when  the  people 
sing  they  invariably  double  the  soprano  part ;  the  result 
will  be  that,  when  the  authentic  cadence  is  used,  it  is  the 
leading-note  that  will  be  doubled  by  the  congregation,  pro- 
ducing an  effect  known  by  every  beginner  in  harmony  to  be 
an  unpardonable  blunder. 

If,  however,  the  monotoned  treble,  as  given  in  Mer- 
becke, be  retained,  it  can  be  harmonized  with  the  plagal 
cadence,  producing  a  perfectly  satisfactory  effect  when  the 
congregation  joins  in  with  the  doubled  tonic,  thus : 


Wi 


It  is  therefore  suggested  that,  in  places  where  congregational 
singing  is  expected,  this  cadence  be  retained. 


The  Fixed  Plain-Song  123 

Great  care  should  be  bestowed  upon  the  rendering  of 
the  Amen.  The  choir  should  take  a  full  breath  during  the 
last  sentence  read  by  the  priest,  and  commence  promptly 
directly  after  he  has  finished,  sustaining  the  two  chords  for 
exactly  equal  length,  counting  two  beats  for  each.  Many 
and  various  are  the  renderings  given  by  different  choirs  to 
this  apparently  very  simple  response  ;  some  will  make  the 
second  syllable  too  long,  others  too  short.  It  may  be  well 
to  remind  the  reader  that  the  second  syllable,  as  written  in 
the  Greek,  has  the  long  vowel  (^),  not  the  short  one  (e)  ; 
an  excessive  shortening  is  therefore  certainly  incorrect. 

Here  is  the  place  to  make  an  emphatic  protest  against 
the  custom,  occasionally  met  with  in  England,  frequently  in 
America,  of  maintaining  a  kind  of  hybrid  choral  service  by 
taking  the  priest's  part  in  the  Versicles  in  the  speaking- 
voice  while  the  Responses  are  sung  by  the  choir,  and  also 
of  having  the  Amens  sung  by  the  choir  when  the  prayers 
have  been  simply  spoken  by  the  minister. 

It  is  hoped  that  the  ancient  custom  of  the  priest's  sing- 
ing the  Versicles  and  monotoning  the  prayers,  directed  by 
the  leaders  of  the  Reformation  to  be  retained  as  in  times 
past,  but  which  has  unhappily  fallen  into  abeyance,  may 
soon  be  revived.  But  until  it  is,  this  dual  method  should 
be  strenuously  resisted  by  choirmasters  of  taste  and  edu- 
cation. Speaking  and  singing  are  both  seemly  and  rea- 
sonable ways  of  rendering  divine  worship ;  but  to  combine 
the  two  in  the  way  so  often  heard  to-day  is  neither  seemly 
nor  reasonable.  It  has  no  more  justification  than  the  con- 
ducting of  a  service  in  two  languages  at  the  same  time,  and 
is  about  as  artistic  as  the  producing  of  a  picture  in  which 
the  one  half  should  be  painted  and  the  other  engraved. 


CHAPTER   V 
PSALM   CHANTING 

Intimately  connected  with  the  foregoing  are  the  Psalms. 
They  are  rendered  by  what  is  technically  called  chanting, 
as  are  occasionally  the  Canticles  and  other  hymns.  A  clear 
understanding  of  the  true  art  of  chanting  is  the  very  centre 
and  core  of  a  choirmaster's  work.  One  who  has  mastered 
it  may  be  trusted  to  interpret  successfully  any  department 
of  ecclesiastical  music. 

A  chant  may  properly  be  defined  as  *  a  monotone  con- 
cluding with  an  inflexion.'  A  single  chant  consists  of  this 
repeated  twice  ;  formerly,  and  still  occasionally,  preceded  by 
another  inflexion,  called  the  *  intonation.'  A  double  chant 
is,  in  form,  two  single  chants  joined  together ;  a  triple 
chant,  three ;  and  a  quadruple  chant,  four. 

Perhaps  the  best-known  single  chant  is  that  used  for  the 
Litany  : 


=t:^ 


Written  in  the  modern  conventional  form,  it  would  ap- 
pear as  follows  : 


To  arrive  at  correct  chanting  it  is  necessary  for  the  stu- 
dent to  study  the  manner  of  ancient  chanting,  to  note  in 
what  respects  it  difl^ers  from  modern,  and  to  substitute  for 
the  prevalent  faults  the  old  true  method. 

The  true  method  of  chanting  remains  in  the  modern 
plain-song  books ;  a  reference  to  *  The  Manual  of  Plain- 
Song  '  (Novello  &  Co.)  will  show  this.  The  modern  prev- 
alent errors  have  gradually  crept  in  since  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury.    An  understanding  of  what  they  are,  and  how  they 

124 


Psalm   Chanting  i^S 

arose,  will  enable  the  student  to  correct  them  without  much 
difficulty.  Ancient,  and  true,  chanting  was,  and  is,  the  ren- 
dering of  a  monotone  in  the  manner  described  in  Chapter 
III,  Part  III,  followed  by  an  inflexion  fitting  the  length 
and  weight  of  the  syllables  for  which  it  is  used.  The  prev- 
alent and  incorrect  chanting  consists  of  a  hurried  recitation, 
more  or  less  *  gabbled,'  followed  by  an  emphasized  inflexion 
taken  at  a  slower  pace  then  the  recitation,  and  sung  in  strict 
time,  regardless  of  the  weight,  accent,  sense  and  feeling  of 
the  words.  The  two  are  denoted  respectively  by  the  names 
*  Gregorian  '  and  *  Anglican  '  —  an  unfortunate  distinction, 
giving  the  impression  that  there  are  two  rival  systems ;  the 
truth  being  that  there  is  only  one  proper  method  of  chant- 
ing, and  that  all  methods  that  difi^er  from  it  are  wrong  and 
pernicious.  So-called  *  Gregorians '  are  usually  sung  in 
unison  :  so-called  '  Anglicans  '  are  usually  sung  in  harmony. 
But  this  distinction  is  unessential ;  the  former  are  some- 
times taken  in  harmony  with  good  effect,  the  latter  are 
frequently  sung  in  unison  with  excellent  efi^ect.  Another 
distinction  is  that  the  former  are  built  upon  the  old  modes, 
the  latter  upon  the  modern  scale.  But  even  this  does  not 
make  so  sharp  a  cleavage  as  might  be  supposed,  for  the 
notes  of  the  former  sometimes  approach  so  near  to  the 
modern  scale-line  as  almost  to  cross  the  border ;  the  latter 
are  sometimes  written  to-day  in  tonalities  which  may  be 
classified  as  old. 

It  is  unnecessary  here  to  press  the  fact  that  the  old 
chanting,  when  used  with  the  old  chants,  is  correct.  This 
is  universally  admitted.  The  thing  to  establish  is,  that 
the  old  chanting  used  with  the  new  chants  is  equally  correct. 

The  faults  of  modern  chanting  are  due  to  the  use,  and 
abuse,  of  bars  and  accent-marks.  The  latter  are  a  blemish 
which  should  be  removed  with  all  speed  ;  the  former  are,  in 
the  circumstances,  a  necessary  evil ;  their  ill  efl^ect  can  be 
counteracted  by  proper  instruction. 

In  the  old  chanting  a  separate  note  was  written  to  every 
syllable.  This  secured  that  the  singer,  led  by  his  eye,  pro- 
nounced the  words  in  a  seemly  and  natural  manner,  without 
undue  hurrying  or  slackening,  and  with  correct  emphasis. 


1^6  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

Before  the  Reformation  the  Psalms  were  sung  in  Latin, 
thus  : 


Prin-ci-pes    per-se-cu-ti  sunt    me    gra-tis:   et  a   ver-bis  tu-is  for-mi-da-vit  cor  me-um. 

When  the  English  translation  came  into  use,  the  same 
method  was  followed  with  the  English  words.  This  is 
from  Merbecke : 


O  come,  lett     vs     syng    vn  -  to     the    lorde,    lett       vs      hert  -   ly     re  -   Joyce 


at 


in     the    strength    of     oure    sal -ua-ci -on. 


Just  at  this  time  harmony  was  taking  the  place  of  unison 
singing  in  many  directions  ;  and  it  occurred  to  the  musi- 
cians of  the  day  that  this  change  could  be  introduced  into 
chanting.  A  separate  note  was  still  written  for  each  syl- 
lable, showing  the  relative  pace  of  the  various  sounds,  and 
all  went  well.  A  verse  from  Tallis's  settings  has  already 
been  given  (p.  119)  ;   here  is  another: 


ii^^^^l^^^^S 


r  r  r  r  v  r- 

Glo  -  ry   be     to    the    Fa-ther,  and     to     the     Son:     and    to    the    Ho  -  ly  Ghost. 

I  .      I      I     J        I        I.I      l_J     J        I        I        I        !     J 


, ^_, ^ =f=-_^=— 4Z_F ^ i p_^ p_  _       

Two  new  conditions  then  arose,  which  had  to  be  met  by 
a  compromise.  As  soon  as  the  harmonized  chanting  was 
heard,  it  became  obvious  that  many  new  and  beautiful 
effects  were  within  reach  of  the  musician.  Harmony  being 
admitted,  a  new  realm  of  possibilities  opened  out  for  secur- 
ing variety,  interest  and  expression.  Endless  new  chants 
were  accordingly  written,  and  are  still  being  written,  upon 
the  lines  made  possible  by  harmony.  Secondly,  these  were 
written  in  four-  or  five-part  harmony,  whereas  formerly 
there  was  only  one  part.  It  now  became  impracticable  to 
write  out  the  notes  to  every  syllable  that  was  to  be  sung. 


Psalm   Chanting  127 

The  books  containing  the  music  would  have  become  too 
bulky  for  general  use  ;  the  expense  would  have  been  pro- 
hibitive. 

The  only  remaining  course,  and  the  one  adopted,  was 
that  of  writing  the  music  once,  and  leaving  the  singers  to 
adapt  it  to  the  words  at  the  time  of  performance. 

One  serious  loss  ensued  in  course  of  time.  As  any 
chant  might  be  used  to  any  words,  it  was  found  impracti- 
cable to  have  chants  of  varying  length,  and  so  the  conven- 
tional device  of  three  measures  followed  by  four  became 
general,  and  the  old  variety  in  length  of  inflexion  was  lost. 

The  thing  we  know  as  *  pointing  *  was,  however,  un- 
dreamt of  in  the  early  days  of  harmonized  chanting.  The 
only  pointing  was  that  found  in  the  Prayer  Book  to-day, 
viz.,  the  mark  (:)  dividing  the  verses  into  two  parts,  to  show 
where  the  second  half  of  the  chant  was  intended  to  com- 
mence. 

This  was  what  Cathedral  choirs  used,  up  to  the  middle 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  Then  the  bars,  and  other  marks 
with  which  we  are  now  so  familiar,  were  introduced  with  the 
laudable  object  of  getting  the  singers  to  keep  together. 

The  rules  for  securing  correct  chanting,  on  the  model  of 
that  left  by  the  Reformation  teachers,  are  as  follows  : — 

I.  The  Recitation 

The  pace  of  this  should  be  the  same  as  that  of  the  inflex- 
ion. Long  and  short  syllables  should  receive  the  same 
treatment  in  both.  If  the  recitation  happens  to  contain  the 
same  number  of  syllables  as  the  inflexion,  it  should  take 
approximately  the  same  time  to  sing  ;  if  it  contains  twice  as 
many  syllables,  it  should  take  twice  as  long  ;  e.g.y 

O  come^  let  us  sing  |  unto  '  the  \  Lord : 

Here  the  inflexion  has  four  syllables,  the  recitation,  five  ; 
the  relative  time  will  be  as  follows  (always  remembering 
that  semibreves,  minims  and  crotchets,  when  used  to  indi- 
cate chanting,  are  to  be  regarded  as  only  approximate  guides)  : 

O    come,       let       us     sing     |  un  -  to     the  |    Lord : 


128 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


In  the  second  half  of  this  verse  there  are  nine  syllables 
against  six : 


3 


Let    us    heart  -  i  -  ly    re  -  joice       in    the    |  strength  of     |  our    sal  -  va  -  tion. 


The  best  way  to  arrive  at  the  correct  pace  of  the  recita- 
tion is  to  take  any  sentence  and  repeat  it  first  as  a  simple 
monotone,  and  then  again  with  the  inflexions  added,  thus : 

J       J     J      J       J      J       J        J        J      J 

come      be  -  fore      his      pres  -  ence      with      thanks  -  giv  -  ing: 

II  I         I  I         J 

<^       a  ezi  <^      d      (^       <s  <s 

shew    our  -  selves    glad    in    him    with 


J      J 
Let    us 


J 
and 


psalms. 


S 


X==^ 


b.  Let    us  come    be -fore       his      pres-ence      with     thanks-  giv -ing:    and    shew 


i 


our  -  selves      |  glad         in       |    him      with     |  psalms. 

The  above  looks  difficult,  but  it  is  really  easy.  The 
words  of  the  recitation  must  set  their  own  pace.  As  already 
pointed  out,  the  notes  used  above  are  only  approximate  in 
length.  Unfortunately,  the  association  of  modern  notation 
with  strict  time  is  apt  to  mislead.  The  best  guide  would 
be  the  old  square  notes,  but  as  these  are  not  always  under- 
stood, it  has  seemed  preferable  to  use  the  other.  The 
teacher  should  insist  that  the  words  containing  the  chief 
sense-elements  should  be  prolonged,  in  order  that  they  may 
arrest  attention. 

In  the  following  sentence  : 

For  he  is  the  Lord  our  God :  and  we  are  the  people  of  his 
pasture y  and  the  sheep  of  his  hand^ 

the  whole  gives  the  reason  for  the  invitation  in  the  preced- 
ing verse.  The  antithesis  is  between  the  statement  as  to 
what  '  he  '  is  and  what  *  we  '  are.  The  strong  words  will  be 
*  he,'  *  Lord,'  and  *  God,'  and  '  we,'  *  people,'  *  pasture,' 
followed  by  the  parallel  '  sheep  '  — *  hand.' 


Psalm   Chanting 


129 


The  first  half  of  this  sentence  usually  receives  plenty  of 
emphasis,  being  set  to  an  inflexion.  The  emphasis  in  the 
second  should  exactly  correspond  ;  but,  being  set  to  the  re- 
citing-note,  it  very  seldom  does.  Render  the  whole  as  fol- 
lows : 


f 


i^^ 


^ 


^ 


i-'g B 


For    he     is       the  Lord     our     God: 


and  we   are  the  peo  -  pie    of    his  pas  -  ture,  and    the    sheep     of     his  hand. 


Exclamations,  like  *  lo,'  *  behold,'  *  look,'    *  yea,'  should  Ij 
always  be  prolonged.  '' 

A  semibreve  is  conventionally  written  for  the  reciting- 
note.  This  merely  gives  the  pitch,  and  is  no  indication  as 
to  length.  Just  as  it  is  admissible  to  lengthen  it  to  any  ex- 
tent, so  it  is  imperative  to  shorten  it  to  a  minim,  or  a  crot- 
chet, when  the  words  require  it ;  e.g.^ 

Proved  I  me  and  \  saw  my  \  works. 

*  Proved  '  should  be  the  length  of  a  minim  (J),  with  an  ac- 
cent. 

And  I  to  the  \  Holy  \  Ghost. 

*  And'  should  be  the  length  of  a  crotchet  (J),  without  an 
accent. 

For  the  I  Lord  sus-  \  tained  \  me. 

*  For  the'  should  be  taken  as  two  crotchets  (  J  J),  without 
accent. 

Summary 

a.  Sing  the  recitation  slowly,  /'./?.,  at  the  same  pace  as  the 
inflexion. 

b.  Dwell  upon  important  words,  passing  lightly  over 
mere  connecting-links. 

c.  Reduce  the  recitation  semibreve  to  a  minim  or  a  crot- 
chet when  the  words  require  it. 


>3o  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

d.  Ignore  the  '  accent '  mark,  when  found  in  the  Psal- 
ter. It  is  frequently  placed  upon  an  unaccented  syllable  ; 
when  on  an  accented  one  it  is  unnecessary,  as  common 
sense  will  supply  the  accent. 

2.  Final  Words 

Progress  will  best  be  made  by  considering  these  next. 

One  of  the  gravest  errors  in  chanting  is  caused  by  the 
habit  of  emphasizing  the  last  note  of  the  chant,  whatever 
the  word  set  to  it  may  be. 

As  much  care  should  be  taken  over  final  words  as  over 
the  recitation. 

One,  two,  three,  or  four,  syllables  are  set  to  the  last  note 
of  an  inflexion.  These  may  be  accented  or  unaccented, 
long  or  short. 

a.       ONE    SYLLABLE 

strong  —  e.g.  *  unto  the  |  Lord. 

medium  —      *  Tempted  |  me.' 

weak  —  *  a  I  vain  |  th  mg.' 

very  weak  —    *  sacrifice  of  |  righteous-  [  ness. 

b.       TWO    SYLLABLES 

These  should  usually  be  taken  as  two  minims ;  their 
weight  will,  however,  vary.      Here  are  several  varieties : 

also 

judgment 
righteous 
season 


sal- 


prosper 
vation 
wither 
sinners 


Compare   these    carefully,   and    pronounce   them   as   in 

speaking. 


Psalm   Chanting  131 

C.       THREE    SYLLABLES 

These  should  be  rendered  as  a  triplet,  with  slight  modi- 
fications as  follows  : 

rTghteousness 
wilderness 
wickedness 
ex-  I  ceedlngly 
sepulchre 
vanity 

d.       FOUR    SYLLABLES 

These  should  invariably  be  taken  as  a  group  of  four 
even  notes,  e.g..^ 

I  testimonies. 

It  is  important  to  note  that,  when  studying  the  above, 
the  student  must  not  suppose  that  his  duty  is  to  take  words 
and  force  them  into  certain  moulds.  The  correct  way  to 
view  the  matter  is  from  the  very  opposite  direction.  It  is 
not  the  quantity-marks  that  make  the  word,  but  the  word 
that  furnishes  the  quantity-marks.  The  marks  given  here 
are  intended  to  represent,  as  nearly  as  possible,  what  is  the 
exact  pronunciation  that  would  be  given  by  a  cultured 
speaker  —  what  he  would  give  naturally  without  thinking 
of  the  matter.  All  words  have  their  own  natural  quantity. 
It  is  the  duty  of  the  teacher  to  retain  this  in  its  purity,  and 
to  prohibit  distortions  and  mispronunciations.  He  will  not 
require  any  marks  in  actual  practice,  but  it  is  sometimes  of 
assistance  to  him  to  write  down  his  impressions,  in  order  to 
gain  and  retain  accuracy.  The  commonest  faults  in  the 
pronunciation  of  final  words  are  undue  hurry  and  false  ac- 
cent. If  there  is  an  accent,  it  invariably  falls  upon  the  first 
syllable  following  the  bar;  the  remaining  syllable,  or  sylla- 
bles,, should  be  extended,  not  contracted. 


CHAPTER   VI 

PSALM  CHANTING    (Continued) 

3.    Middle  Words 

These  are  the  words  falling  between  the  bars  in  pointed 
Psalters.  The  one  condition  for  rendering  them  correctly 
is  to  realize  that  the  bars^  in  chanting^  do  not  involve  either 
time  or  accent^  but  are  merely  convenient  signs  for  showing 
where  the  words  correspond  with  the  notes  of  the  musical  in- 
flexion. 

It  is  not  always  easy  to  convince  people  of  this  truism, 
so  accustomed  are  they  to  the  rigid  time-dividing  of  the 
bars  in  instrumental  music.  A  glance  at  a  verse  or  two  of 
the  ancient  chanting,  or  of  the  original  '  Anglican  '  chanting, 
proves  the  truth  of  the  above  rule  ;  e.g.^ 

a.    From  Merbecke : 


5E 


Lord,    now 


let 


test      thou      thy         ser  -  uaunt      de    -   part        in      peace. 


5E 


Which   thou     hast        pre-par-ed, 

b.   From  Tallis  : 


The  reader  can  himself  supply  the  bars  that  a  modern 
*  pointer '  would  give  to  these  extracts,  and  see  how  they 
would  fit  the  places  marked  *. 

132 


Psalm  Chanting  ^Z'S 

It  is  well  to  go  further  and  remember  that  all  bars  in 
music  are  mere  accidental  helps.  Music  could  exist  very 
well,  and  actually  did  exist  until  the  sixteenth  century, 
without  them.  When  misunderstood,  they  do  harm  in  in- 
strumental music ;  they  do  more  harm  in  ordinary  vocal 
music ;  they  introduce  disastrous  havoc  into  chanting. 

The  rule  for  the  rendering  of  middle  words  is,  that  they 
shall  continue  the  relative  pace  of  the  monotone,  without 
perceptible  break  or  interruption,  until  the  final  words  are 
reached.  They  will  vary  greatly  in  length  and  weight : 
their  natural  pronunciation  must  in  every  case  be  retained. 

a.    ONE    SYLLABLE 

The  two  half-notes  of  the  musical  measure  are  fre- 
quently set  to  one  syllable.  In  these  cases,  the  notes  must 
be  reduced  as  far  as  possible  in  value ;  this  reduction  will 
vary  in  amount  according  as  the  word  or  syllable  is  light  or 
heavy;  e.g.. 

Long :  a  |  great  -  |  God 

without  I  end  -  | 

Medium :        the  |  dry  -  |  land 
and  I  fall  -  |  down 
in  I  due  -  |  season 

Short :  a  |  gainst  -    |  him 

lifter  I  up  -   I 

b.       TWO    SYLLABLES 

When  two  syllables  are  set  to  the  two  notes  of  one 
measure,  the  strong  and  weak  syllables  should  be  carefully 
distinguished.     The  following  varieties  will  be  found  : 

Both  very  light :        \  to  the  | 

Both  light:  I  ever  | 

/I  holy  I 

FT  I  /■   ,       /I  'K^i'^K  ^-  I 

Heavy  and  lt7ht :  \.       -       ,    wr  i 
^  -^  *         j  1  strength  of  | 

\  I  glad  Tn  | 


134 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


Both  heavy : 


hfm  with  I 
hflls  fs  I 
Lord  our  | 
known  my 


To  render  the  above  correctly  the  half-notes  of  the 
music  must  be  treated  in  a  very  elastic  manner ;  they  will 
sound  for  the  various  groups  somewhat  as  follows : 


r   r 


Here  again  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  words  will 
govern  the  music,  not  the  music  the  words  ;  the  effect, 
though  it  would  look  irregular  on  paper,  will,  in  actual  use, 
sound  natural  and  easy. 


C.    THREE    SYLLABLES 


When  three  syllables  are  set  to  the  two  musical  notes, 
the  usual  dot  will  show  which  two  are  to  be  sung  to  one  note. 
There  is,  however,  much  more  to  consider.  Nearly  as 
much  variety  will  be  found  here  as  in  the  case  of  two  sylla- 
bles.    The  following  illustrations  will  make  this  clear : 


ge 


ner- 


im- 


unto  .  my 

= 

1 

f=> 

\ 

ation  .     and  | 

^=i 

r 

(=> 

r 

1  unto  .   the 

= 

r 

1 

1 

agine  .  a 

= 

0 

1 

p 
1 

counsel  .  to- 

= 

1 

r 

r 

Psalm  Chanting 


^ZS 


1 

•  r   r 

r 

•  r  r 

1 

r  r 

I  and  .  to  the  |  = 

I  law  .  of  the  |  = 

I  laugh  .  them  to  |      = 

The  elastic  half-notes  will  easily  be  transmuted  into 
these  divisions  and  the  words  will  give  their  true  force  and 
meaning. 

d.    FOUR    SYLLABLES 

Four  syllables  are  not  often  placed  within  the  space  of 
one  bar.  When  they  are,  the  rendering  will  be  easy.  Two 
syllables  will  go  to  each  note  of  the  music,  retaining  their 
own  force ;  e.g.^ 

I  Israel    .   shall     be  | 

II  11 

This  measure  will  rightly  take  about  twice  as  long  to 
render  as  a  measure  with  only  two  syllables. 

For  two  half-notes  of  the  chant,  occasionally  a  dotted 
half-note  and  a  quarter-note  are  substituted.  The  correct 
rendering  of  these  is  not  always  understood.  The  rules 
are  as  follows : 

When  they  are  set  to  two  syllables,  these  should  inva- 
riably take  one  note  each,  e.g.^ 

In  the  recitation  : 


— rr 


m. 


the  I  Lord  of    I  Hosts    is    |  with  us. 
be  I  hold  the  |  works,  etc. 


In  the  mediation 


the  Lord  of    |  Hosts    is    |  with  us. 
God  is    our   |  hope   and  |  strength. 


When,  however,  three  syllables  are  to  be  taken  to  the 
two    notes,  considerable  care  is  necessary.      It  should   be 


•i36 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


first  decided  whether  these  syllables  can  be  divided  into  a 
long  and  two  shorts,  or  into  two  shorts  and  a  long  ( |  —  ^ 
>-  I  or  I  -  ^  —  I )  ;  when  the  latter  is  necessary ,  the  musical 
notes  must  be  adapted  thus  •*  f  /•  (O, 


^^ 


they  I  marvelled  to  see     such 

fear  |  came  there  up -on  |  them  and 


things : 
I  sorrow: 


f 


^ 


glad  the 
the 


ci   -   ty    of 
kingdoms  are 


God: 
moved : 


In  all  other  cases  the  rendering  will  be  like  this : 


^ 


:*=i= 


=}= 


much  I  ado      Snd    thS  kingdoms       are     moved: 


f 


-^ 


=t 


behold  the  works    of     th6      Lord : 


When  there  are  four  syllables,  the  rendering  will  invari- 
ably be: 


and 


^ 


^x=^ 


A  word  should  be  said  as  to  the  mark  of  division  (:) 
found  in  all  Psalters  between  the  two  halves  of  the  verse. 
This  is  the  one  pointing  mark  which  has  the  authority  of 
the  Prayer  Book.  It  is  sometimes  called  a  '  colon,'  be- 
cause it  is  written  like  one ;  but  this  is  a  pity,  as  a  colon  is 
the  name  given  to  a  stop  in  grammar,  used  to  denote  a 
break  in  the  sense.  The  mark  in  question  simply  indicates 
the  division  of  the  music,  whether  the  words  have  a  break 
or  are  continuous.  Usually,  the  division  of  the  parallels 
occurs  at  this  point,  but  not  always.  When  it  does  not, 
the  music  should  continue  without  any  separation  ;  e.g.y 
O  Lord  thy  word :  endureth,  etc. 

For  lo,  the  kings  of  the  earth  :  are  gathered,  etc. 


Psalm  Chanting  '37 

In  view  of  the  insistence  by  some  teachers  on  an  invari- 
able pause  at  this  point,  as  a  sort  of  sacred  duty,  the  follow- 
ing opinion  given  by  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Frere,  D.D.,  is  val- 
uable : 

"I  think  the  pause  of  the  colon  in  any  case  is  purely  for 
purposes  of  convenience^  and  must  be  judged  accordingly,  not 
treated  as  a  sort  of  fetish  which  must  be  adhered  to  with  or 
without  cause." 

This  brings  in  another  question  :  What  is  the  correct 
method  of  antiphonal  singing  ?  should  it  be  by  the  half- 
verse,  or  by  the  whole  verse  ? 

Firstly,  sweep  away  misconceptions.  There  is  no  abso- 
lute authority  for  the  invariable  use  of  either  the  one  or  the 
other.  Various  methods  have  been  in  use  at  different  times 
and  in  different  places.  The  question  is  one  that  should  be 
settled  solely  by  considerations  of  common  sense,  edification 
and  beauty. 

Further,  there  is  no  reason  at  all  why  the  whole  body  of 
the  choir  should  take  part  in  every  verse.  It  is  quite  suit- 
able for  certain  portions  to  be  taken  by  a  solo  voice,  or  by 
a  few  picked  voices  ;  but  this  is  a  question  that  cannot  be 
fully  discussed  here.* 

Assuming  that  the  chorus  is  going  to  sing  in  every  verse, 
then,  in  the  majority  of  Psalms,  the  division  should  be  at 
the  half-verse,  in  order  to  make  the  musical  rendering  cor- 
respond with  the  structure  of  the  words.  For  it  will  be 
seen  that,  as  a  rule,  the  poetry  takes  a  dual  form  :  the  second 
half  of  the  verse  balances  the  first  as  a  parallel,  a  complement, 
or  an  antithesis.  This  structure  is  obscured  by  the  custom 
of  whole-verse  singing;  it  is  illuminated  by  half-verse  anti- 
phony. 

The  rule  should  be  to  divide  each  verse  between  the 
two  sides  of  the  choir  whenever  the  verses  are  of  twofold 
construction ;  but  to  retain  the  whole-verse  arrangement 
when  the  verses  contain  only  one  complete  and  indivisible 
thought. 

*  See  *  The  Psalms,  their  Structure  and  Musical  Rendering,*  by  A. 
Madeley   Richardson   (G.  Schirmer). 


138  The  Choirtrainers  Art 

The  student  is  strongly  recommended  to  follow  up  the 
study  of  this  important  question.  Space  forbids  more  than 
a  passing  reference  to  it  here. 

A  small  detail  should  be  noticed.  Sometimes  an  elabo- 
rate rallentando  is  Introduced  at  the  end  of  every  *  Gloria.' 
This  should  be  avoided.  A  slight  slackening  may  be  intro- 
duced, but  it  should  be  kept  well  within  bounds.  It  is  a 
pity  that  the  direction  of  the  Prayer  Book  which  orders  the 
*  Gloria  '  to  be  sung  at  the  conclusion  of  every  Psalm  cannot 
be  amended  (as  has  been  done  by  the  American  Church); 
it  is  particularly  inappropriate  when,  as  in  several  cases, 
the  Psalm  already  terminates  with  a  '  Gloria '  of  its  own. 

Insufficient  attention  has  probably  been  given  to  the 
question  of  chanting  in  unison.  Unison  singing  is  always 
effective,  as  a  contrast  to  harmonized.  For  chanting  with  a 
weak  choir,  where  there  may  be  difficulties  in  balancing  voi- 
ces, or  in  getting  them  to  take  their  parts  correctly  when 
balanced,  it  is  strongly  to  be  recommended.  Further,  when 
congregational  singing  is  desired,  it  is  the  one  way  to  obtain 
it.  Low  chants  may  be  taken,  suitable  to  the  compass  of 
all  voices,  and  all  available  time  and  care  given  to  the  cor- 
rect enunciation  of  the  words,  without  the  hindrance  of  hav- 
ing to  correct  faults  in  part-singing. 

Now,  after  perusing  the  method  of  chanting  advocated 
in  these  pages,  the  student  will  probably  pause  to  consider 
whether  he  feels  equal  to  the  task  of  carrying  it  out.  The 
writer  has  often  been  told  by  grave  and  reverend  seigniors 
that,  though  his  views  are  undoubtedly  right,  the  difficulties 
in  the  way  of  imparting  them  to  unlearned  singers  are  so 
great  that  it  is  impossible  to  teach  them  successfully.  The 
reply  to  this  is,  that  the  difficulties,  when  boldly  attacked,  ' 
will  be  found  to  be  purely  imaginary.  Experience  has 
shown  that  little  boys  have  been  able  to  acquire  the  method 
in  a  very  short  time  with  complete  success.  This  has 
been  done  both  in  England  and  America.  In  the  latter 
country  it  has  been  remarkable  how  easily  the  boys  have 
taken  to  it  in  a  few  months ;  and  it  has  been  amusing  and 
instructive  to  witness  the  elder  boys  solemnly  undertaking 


Psalm   Chanting  '39 

to  teach  the  juniors  and  insisting  upon  their  chanting  pro- 
perly without  delay.  The  method  is  based  upon  nature 
and  common  sense.  When  acquired  it  is  seen  to  be  reason- 
able and  obvious.  It  is  the  prevalent  defective  chanting 
that  is  really  difficult ;  —  obviously,  for,  to  acquire  it,  it  is 
necessary,  having  learnt  to  speak  correctly,  to  unlearn  all 
this  and  speak  incorrectly. 

Even  were  the  difficulties  great  (as  they  are  not),  it 
would  be  worth  while ;  for  it  gives  to  the  words  meaning, 
and  consequently  interest.  The  words  are  learnt  and  re- 
tained ;  their  sense  is  grasped  and  assimilated.  What  better 
task  can  a  choirmaster  have  than  to  promote  the  love  and 
appreciation  of  the  golden  beauties  of  the  greatest  poetry 
in  the  world  ? 

The  reader  should  obtain  and  study  that  valuable  book 
(recently  published  at  the  price  of  i/o)by  Prothero,  "The 
Psalms  in  Human  Life."  After  reading  it  he  will  not  think 
any  trouble  too  much  to  establish  the  singing  of  the  Psalms 
as  they  should  be  sung. 

It  should  be  always  emphasized  that  this  method  of 
chanting  is  nothing  new.  Its  one  and  only  aim  is  to  rees- 
tablish and  retain  the  old  principles,  the  only  true  and  right 
ones. 

One  real  difficulty  is  found  when  choirs  are  thoroughly 
trained  into  a  wrong  method.  This  requires  undoing  be- 
fore the  right  can  be  established.  It  will,  of  course,  take 
trouble  Xo  do  this,  but  it  is  unfair  to  blame  the  true  for  the 
faults  of  the  false.  The  undoing  process  will  invariably  be 
found  more  arduous  with  men  than  with  boys.  This  proves 
what  has  just  been  said.  It  will  not  be  asserted  that  men 
have  less  intelligence  than  boys.  The  only  reason  for  this 
tardiness  is  that  with  them  bad  habits  have  had  longer  time 
to  establish  themselves  and  grow  into  their  nature.  The 
faults  have  become  confirmed,  and  therefore  require  more 
time  and  stronger  effiarts  to  eradicate  them. 

Another  difficulty  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  usual  published 
Psalters  have  to  be  used.*      In  these  the  'accent'  is  found. 

*  Sec,  however.  The  Southwark  Psalter,  by  the  present  writer  (Long- 
mans, Greeti  &  Co.). 


HO  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

Its  pernicious  effect  is  admitted  by  all,  but  a  mistaken 
notion  is  abroad  that  in  some  way  it  is  a  help  to  the  singer, 
and,  in  fact,  is  an  inevitable  evil.  Attempts  have  been  made 
to  lessen  its  baneful  influence  by  substituting  for  it  quantity- 
marks,  or  superimposed  notes.  These  only  retain  the  same 
errors  in  a  different  form.  The  fatal  mistake  of  all  is  the 
assumption  of  what  is  called  an  *  imaginary  bar.'  Away 
with  it !  Why  have  a  bar  at  all,  either  imaginary  or  other- 
wise? The  evil  effect  would  not  be  so  great  if  we  could 
have  *  imaginary  bars  '  all  through  a  long  sentence,  thus : 

a.  Blessed  is  he  whose  unrighteousness  |  is  for-  |  given  : 

I      '   J  J        '    J         'J 

b.  Blessed  is  he  whose  unrighteousness 

c.  Blessed  is  he  whose  unrighteousness 

but  none  of  these  arrangements  has  ever  been  attempted. 
Only  the  last  group  of  syllables  before  the  first  bar  is 
marked.  The  inevitable  consequence  is  that  both  teacher 
and  singers  conclude  that  these  are  the  ones  to  be  chiefly 
considered,  and  that  the  preceding  ones  are  of  less  import- 
ance. In  the  above  sentence,  the  principal  word  is  *  blessed'; 
the  next  in  importance,  '  forgiven.'  What  uninitiated  per- 
son would  suppose  so,  looking  at  the  ordinary  Psalters  ? 
Let  us  hope  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  all  these 
devices  will,  once  for  all,  be  removed  from  all  Psalters. 
Until  they  are,  the  only  advice  that  can  be  given  is  care- 
fully and  systematically  to  disregard  them^  and  chant  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  dictates  of  grammar  and  common  sense. 


J  J 

1     1 

is  for- 

1  given 

is  for- 

1  given 

CHAPTER   VII 

MERBECKE'S  COMMUNION  SERVICE 

In  the  treasury  of  English  Church  music  are  two  nota- 
ble Communion  Services,  which  have  come  down  from  the 
early  Reformation  days  of  the  sixteenth  century  —  those  by 
Merbecke  and  Tallis.  After  that  time  the  custom  of  sing- 
ing the  Communion  Service  was  discontinued  in  Parish 
Churches,  while  in  Cathedrals  only  the  first  part  of  the  ser- 
vice was  sung.  This  state  of  things  continued  until  the 
nineteenth  century,  and  the  result  is  that  to-day  there  are 
available,  of  the  period  to  which  they  belong,  only  the  two 
works  above  mentioned. 

The  former  is  written  in  unison  throughout,  on  the  lines 
of  the  old  plain-song;  the  latter  is  in  modal  harmony,  on 
the  lines  of  Tallis's  celebrated  Responses,  of  which  it  forms 
the  continuation. 

Merbecke's  Service  contains  all  the  parts  that  are  now 
used,  including  the  Benedictus  and  Agnus  Dei  ;  Tallis's  is 
complete  except  for  these  two  portions. 

All  choirs  that  have  to  sing  in  a  choral  celebration  of  the 
Holy  Communion  should  be  familiar  with  Merbecke;  it  is 
suitable  and  effective  for  every  place,  from  the  stately  Ca- 
thedral to  the  humble  village  church.  Tallis  can  be  ade- 
quately rendered  only  by  the  trained  and  balanced  choirs 
of  Cathedrals  and  large  parish  churches.  In  them  it  should 
be  constantly  heard. 

The  reader's  attention  is  now  called  to  the  consideration 
of  Merbecke.  This  Service  has  of  recent  years  been  revived, 
and  has  come  into  very  general  use.  Its  full  appreciation 
has,  however,  been  retarded  by  misconceptions  as  to  what  it 
really  is.  Editions  of  the  music  have  been  published  in 
which  the  original  has  been  altered  almost  beyond  recogni- 
tion. The  time  has  been  changed  from  its  own  free  rhythm 
to  the  strict  quadruple  time  so  dear  to  some  modern  ears. 


142  The  C hoir trainer  s  Art 

Harmonies  have  been  added,  including  dominant  and  di- 
minished sevenths,  and  other  devices  contrary  to  the  spirit 
and  use  of  the  time  in  which  it  was  written.  The  result 
has  been  unsatisfactory  to  all.  Musicians  with  the  histori- 
cal spirit  have  shuddered  at  the  anachronisms  thus  perpe- 
trated ;  thorough-going  moderns  have  naturally  been  re- 
pelled by  the  juxtaposition  of  the  cadence  without  a  leading- 
note  and  their  favorite  chromatic  harmonies. 

To  appreciate  the  beauties  of  Merbecke  it  is  necessary 
to  revert  to  the  original,  to  study  and  understand  its  spirit, 
and  to  render  it  in  the  manner  intended  by  its  author. 

On  examining  the  original,  we  see  that  it  consists  of 
musical  sentences  written  in  what  may  be  called  a  kind  of 
musical  prose,  in  free  rhythm,  more  allied  to  chanting  than 
to  modern  barred  music,  but  lacking  the  presence  of  the 
characteristic  *  reciting-note.* 

The  tonality  used  for  the  fixed  portions  of  the  Service 
is  that  of  the  Dorian,  Phrygian,  i^iolian  and  Ionian  modes. 
The  first: 


is  used  for  the  Sanctus  and  the  Agnus  Dei ;  the  second : 


f 


for  the  Gloria  in  Excelsis ;  the  third  : 


1^ 


for  the  Creed ;  and  the  last 


f 


for  the  Kyrie. 

For  the  Offertory  Sentences  and  the  Post-Communions 
other  modes  are  also  employed. 

All  indications  as  to  the  manner  of  rendering  are  absent. 
There  is  no  guide  as  to  absolute  pitch  :  the  old  four-line  C- 
and  i^-clefs  are  used,  which  are  no  more  a  guide  to  absolute 
pitch  than  are  the  syllables  of  the  Tonic  Sol-Fa  method. 


Merbeckes  Communion  Service        HJ 

There  is  little,  or  no,  guide  to  the  relative  length  of  the 
notes  ;  the  four  kinds  of  notes  used  give  only  a  vague  sug- 
gestion as  to  relative  time.  There  is  no  direction  as  to 
pace ;  though  of  course  no  one  will  suppose  that  it  is  in- 
tended that  everything  shall  be  sung  at  the  same  pace,  re- 
gardless of  the  character  of  the  words.  There  is  no  direc- 
tion as  to  variation  of  tone,  though  this  must  have  been 
supplied  by  the  singers  of  the  time.  All  that  is  given  is 
simply  notes  indicating  variations  in  relative  pitch. 

On  examining  the  music  carefully,  in  the  light  of  recent 
research,  it  is  impossible  to  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
composer  intended  it  to  be  sung  with  any  strict  grouping 
as  to  time.  The  notes  employed  are  the  old  square  notes ; 
and  they  are  used  for  the  sung  portions  in  exactly  the  same 
way  as  for  the  monotoned  part  of  the  service ;  e.g.^ 


O     God,  from  whom    all      ho  -  ly      de-sires 
b. 


Glo-ry       be       to     God      on     high 


The  proper  way  to  interpret  the  music  is  to  consider 
how  the  various  phrases  would  be  rendered  as  a  monotone, 
and  then  to  carry  the  spirit  of  this  rendering  into  the  inflex- 
ion. The  student  may  convince  himself  of  this  by  com- 
paring the  two  illustrations  just  given.  It  is  evident  that, 
whatever  be  the  solution  of  the  problem,  the  manner  of 
rendering  the  two  is  practically  the  same ;  what  applies  to 
the  one  will  apply  to  the  other.  If  the  first  is  to  be  taken 
in  the  manner  of  modern  measured  music,  then  the  second 
must  be  taken  in  the  same  manner,  thus : 


God,    from  whom     all       ho  -  ly    de  -  sires 


Glo  -  ry        be        to      God      on       high 


144  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

If  the  student  reads  the  first  of  the  above  exactly  as  it  is 
written,  he  will  find  the  result  quite  impossible,  quite  con- 
trary to  all  principles  of  elocution.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  at  a  the  notes  are  to  be  treated  freely,  merely  as  signs 
to  guide  the  pitch.  This  being  admitted,  a  strong  presump- 
tion follows  that  b  is  to  be  taken  in  a  corresponding  way. 
For  practical  use  this  presumption  may  be  treated  as  a  cer- 
tainty. The  question  next  arises  :  What  is  the  object  of 
having  notes  differing  in  shape  ?  The  intention  seems  to 
be  that  the  breves  shall  have  more  weight  than  the  semi- 
breves,  and  the  latter  more  than  the  minims.  But  even  this 
does  not  always  seem  a  sure  guide ;  at  least,  in  many  places 
where  there  must  obviously  be  a  pause,  the  stronger  note  is 
not  used  ;  e.g.^  in 

-^ ^ .       - 


— . „ — . , _ 

have  mer-cy     up  -  on    us.  For  thou  on  -  ly  art     ho  -  ly 

a  pause  is  undoubtedly  intended  at  (  * ),  but  there  is  noth- 
ing to  indicate  it.  Bearing  upon  this  it  is  curious  to  note 
that  the  composer  was  not  always  accurate  in  details.  In 
the  Creed  a  whole  sentence  has  got  transposed ;  in  the 
Offertory  Sentences  there  are  three  mistakes  of  reference. 
It  seems  as  if  general  effects,  rather  than  details,  had  been 
considered  in  the  compilation  of  the  music. 

Assuming  that  all  that  is  handed  down  to  us  from 
Merbecke  is  the  mere  relative  pitch  of  the  notes,  it  remains 
for  the  modern  adapter  to  supply  (i)  relative  time,  (2)  pace, 
(3)  absolute  pitch,  (4)  accent,  (5)  phrasing,  (6)  expression, 
(7)  instrumental  (or  even  vocal)  harmony  (if  desired). 

Although  so  many  modern  editions  have  already  been 
published,  it  is  perhaps  unnecessary  for  the  present  writer 
to  offer  an  apology  for  suggesting  yet  another  reading  ;  for, 
in  a  subject  so  abstruse  and  so  elusive,  there  is  always  room 
for  differences  of  opinion  as  to  details.* 

The  various  parts,  or  movements,  that  appear  in  the 
Merbecke  setting  are  as  follows  : 

*See  Merbecke' s  Communion  Service,  edited  by  A.  Madeley  Richardson. 
(G.  Schirmer. ) 


Merbeckes  Communion  Service        H5 

1.  The  Introit. 

2.  The  Kyrie. 

3.  The  Gloria  in  Excelsis. 

4.  The  Creed. 

5.  The  Offertories. 

6.  The  Sanctus  (including  the  Benedictus). 

7.  The  Pater  Noster. 

8.  The  Agnus  Dei. 

9.  The  Post-Communions. 

1.  The  Introit  consists  of  a  Psalm  setting;  the  first 
verse  is  given,  with  a  direction  to  continue  in  the  same  man- 
ner to  the  end. 

2.  The  Kyrie.  The  setting  here  given  should  be  care- 
fully distinguished  from  what  is  now  known  as  the  Kyrie. 
What  Merbecke  set  was  the  proper  Kyrie,  or  Lesser  Lit- 
any ;  this  is  now  omitted  from  the  English  Communion 
Service,  and  its  place  supplied  by  the  Responses  to  the 
Commandments.  It  should  be  noted,  however,  that  in  the 
American  Church  the  proper  Kyrie  has  been  retained,  so 
that  there  Merbecke's  music  can  be  rendered  as  set.  It 
seems  to  be  a  prevalent  custom  in  the  English  Church  to 
sing  the  Responses  to  the  Commandments,  in  places  where 
little  else  is  sung.  This  is  remarkable,  for  if  there  is  one 
place  in  the  Church  Service  where  singing  would  seem  in- 
appropriate, it  is  here.  The  Commandments  and  these  Re- 
sponses are  outside  the  service  proper,  and  stand  for  the 
solemn  self-examination  and  preparation  of  the  worshipper 
for  the  service  that  follows.  They  were  inserted  to  supply 
the  place  of  the  auricular  confession  which  was  compulsory 
before  the  Reformation.  To  sing  here  is  a  custom  that 
could  scarcely  be  defended.  The  only  excuse  for  it  is  that 
it  has  been  done,  and  is  being  done,  and  will  probably  con- 
tinue to  be  done  by  a  great  many  people. 

It  is  suggested  that  this  section  should  not  be  sung^  but 
said  on  a  low  monotone.  When  this  is  done,  the  final 
Response  may  be  sung,  though  this  is  not  at  all  necessary. 
At  any  rate,  it  would  relieve  the  singers  of  the  wearisome 
repetition  of  the  same  phrase  nine  times  over,  and  from  in- 
truding so  much  singing  into  a  place  where  it  is  not  wanted. 


146 

The 

Ch 

oirtrainer  s 

Art 

The  Kyrie  given 

by 
I    ■ 

Merbecke  is  as 

^      ^           ^           ■      - 

follows  : 
^    ■    -    1 

'TV 

Lorde  haue  mer<y  vp  -  on  vs.    Christ  haue    mer-cy  vp  -  on  vs. 
^   ^         ■         ,     ,     ■     ^===. 


Lorde    haue    mer-cy   vp  -  on  vs. 


If  it  is  desired  that  the  Responses  to  the  Command- 
ments be  sung,  a  setting  may  be  supplied,  not  by  adding  an 
ending  to  the  first  Merbecke  phrase  and  repeating  it  nine 
times,  but  by  doing  this  for  all  three  phrases,  which  can 
then  be  sung  three  times  each,  with  a  final  setting  for  the 
loth.     The  following  arrangement  is  suggested  for  use  : 


^ 


=Js=rt 


S^ 


Lord,    have   mer-cy    up  -  on    us,       and     in  -  cline  our  hearts  to    keep  this  law. 
b.  9 


^ 


3t=^ 


Lord,    have   mer-cy     up -on     us,   and    in  -  cline  our  hearts  to   keep  this    law. 


^^ 


^ J- 


i 


— — •^— *— ^ — ^- 

Lord,    have    mer-cy    up -on     us,    and     in  -  cUne  our  hearts  to    keep  this    law. 
d.  9 


^^ 


rt 


^^ 


li 


:=t 


Lord,    have     mer  -  cy      up  -  on      us,    and    ^vrite    all      these    thy     laws 


f 


our  hearts,      we    be  -  seech  thee. 

In  the  English  Church  Service  the  Creed  comes  next  in 
order,  though  in  the  First  Prayer  Book  of  Edward  VI  it 
followed  the  Gloria  in  Excelsis.  As  already  indicated,  the 
four  kinds  of  notes  are  used,  but  they  cannot  be  taken  as  a 
guide.  The  pause  is  used  for  the  opening  phrase,  and  for 
the  four  concluding  phrases.  At  no  other  place  is  there  any 
indication  of  a  break  at  all ;  pauses  must  obviously  be  sup- 
plied. The  breve  is  occasionally  used,  but  generally  when 
it  does  not  seem  to  be  required.  The  usual  note  is  the 
semibreve,  varied  by  a  few  minims. 


Merbecke  s   Communion  Service        H7 

Here  is  the  setting,  with  a  suggested  interpretation  in 
modern  notes,  intended  as  an  approximate  guide. 


^r 


I       be-lieve    in    one    God, 


f 


•|       ^J     .' 


In  the  original  no  mention  is  made  of  this  being  taken  by 
the  priest  alone,  although  that  custom  is  now  usual. 

The  Fa  -  ther  al  -  might-y,      mak-er    of    heaven  and  earth, 


In  a  modern  Prayer  Book  each  new  clause  of  the  Creed  is 
printed  with  a  capital ;  in  the  Merbecke  setting  even  this 
guide  to  rendering  does  not  appear.  Notice,  above,  the 
dotted  semibreve,  and  its  interpretation. 

^ ^=^=i_.  -^^„._,        -        __^ 

--_-^^^_, — ^EE^=M=--=M=z* — ■ — i— ♦— ♦ — 

and  of    all  things    vis  -  i  -  ble    and     in  -  vis  -  i  -  ble. 


i=^f==^ -*— J—J     ^  ^ 


^     ^ 


Here  minims  are  used,  but  they  fall  on  the  wrong  syllables. 

:^1?- ^-=« _,  ,      ,      _— « ■       ,.^Jz-  ■       ■ 


And  in    one  Lord  Je  -  sus  Christ,        the   on  -  ly  -  be  -  got  -  ten    Son    of     God. 


:^_1i=rrirj=^ 


::=:=* 


Be  ■  got  -  ten      of      his      Fa  -  ther    bc-fore    all   worlds; 


-« -W       •      * ^ cr- 


H^  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


-^Ir-i- 


God         of    God,     Light       of  Light,    ver  -  y   God    of    ver  -  y   God ; 


:^^=*= 


Here  time  is  freely  adapted  to  verbal  requirements.  It  is 
sometimes  asserted  that  the  word  'of  should  here  be  em- 
phasized to  show  that  it  translates  the  Latin  de  with  the 
ablative  {Deum  de  Deo)y  not  the  genitive ;  but  it  is  not  ne- 
cessary to  alter  the  natural  grammatical  pronunciation.  If 
the  first  syllable  of  *  very '  were  to  be  made  long,  as  in 
Merbecke,  the  effect  would  be  unpleasant. 

iOi .--^ = =z== z= 


$ 


Be  -  got-ten,  not      made ;     be  -  ing    of     one       sub-stance  with     the     Fa  -  ther ; 
t  — •  —     9      I   I  I  I 


i=aE3==Ei^^i 


The  second  clause  here  should  be  sung  freely ;  '  being  of 
rather  slower  than  written,  '  with  the  '  rather  faster.  The 
breve  for  '  Father  '  seems  unnecessary. 


:^ 


By  whom     all  things  were  made. 


*  Whom  '  requires  a  long  note  ;  '  all '  is  emphatic,  though 
*  things  '  is  longer.  The  rendering  commonly  heard  states, 
by  implication,  the  heresy  that  the  Creator  made  things, 
but  not  persons. 

^ — -     ^     ■      -  -    -■ — =^=r-  .       ' 


Who  for     us    men,  and   for  our    sal  -  va  -  ti  -  on. 


( va   -   tion,) 

'  Us   men  '  are  both   long  and  emphatic,  the  preceding 
words  being  also  deliberate  ;  the  rest  of  the  words  are  equal 


Merbeckes  Communion  Service        H9 

in  length.     Notice  the  curious  division  in  Merbecke  of  the 
word  '  salvation  '  into  four  syllables. 


came    down    from  heaven. 


i 


The  first  two  words  are  emphatic  —  equally  so.  If  one  is 
emphasized  beyond  the  other  the  sense  is  altered.  The 
preposition  '  from  '  does  not  require  so  long  a  note,  though 
Merbecke  has  given  one ;  its  shortening,  correctly,  has  the 
effect  of  lengthening  the  preceding  note. 

•^i? _    'i^: — ,      ^:^-_— ■ — ■ — *  ■•   ^=^ — I     IK     -■ — 


And  was  in  -  car-nate  by  the   Ho  -  ly  Ghost    of  the  Vir-gin  Ma  -  ry, 

-^-        I     ^ • • « — • — '      1 * — ^—S      W  — » — 


This  phrase  has  required  some  bending  to  fit  the  words. 
*  By '  and  '  the,*  preposition  and  article,  should  be  kept  out 
of  prominence ;  and  also  *  of  the.'  Then  the  principal 
words  *  incarnate,'  '  Holy  Ghost,'  '  Virgin  Mary,'  will  be 
heard  with  their  full  meaning.  Merbecke's  long  note  for 
the  first  syllable  of  *  Mary '  is  unnecessary  ;  still  more  the 
one  for  '  of.' 

and  was  made  man  : 


These  should  he  sung  in  equal  time,  slowly  and  solemnly. 
The  apparently  long  note  for  *  made  '  is  out  of  place,  and 
would  spoil  the  phrase. 

We  will  pass  over  most  of  the  remaining  clauses  of  the 
Creed,  leaving  the  student  to  work  them  out  for  himself  in 
a  similar  way.     A  few  points  may  be  noticed. 


'5°  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


^ 


f 


aud     sit-teth   on    the  right  hand  of   the   Fa  -  ther 

=P==K— I \ 1        I        ^   jv— 'i r 


^^^S^fUmZT 


It  is  curious  here  that  a  long  note  should  be  given  to 
*  sit-,'  which  is  obviously  short.  '  Of  the  '  clearly  require 
shortening.  The  first  syllable  of  '  Father '  should  not  be 
over-prolonged. 

The  Lord  and  Giv  -  er    of    Life. 


^^^=f=7^ 


Here,  clearly,  '  Giv- '  should  be  short ;  *  Life,'  long. 

And     I     look    for  the   re  -  sur-rec  -  ti  -  on       of  the  dead. 


:3sc=4 


^^^iJ=^F^?^=P 


(rec  -  tion) 

Here  the  preposition  and  conjunction  are  not  to  be  pro- 
longed ;  neither  will  the  third  syllable  of  '  resurrection ' 
bear  lengthening. 

The  Sanctus 

This  has  been  harmonized  in  the  ^olian  mode ;  it  is 
written,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  in  the  Dorian.  The  pace 
should  be  slow  and  solemn  at  the  commencement,  brighten- 
ing for  the  second  clause.  *Holy'  should  be  rendered  Holy 
at  each  repetition.  *^^ 

The  second  clause  has  met  with  remarkable  distortion 
in  one  well-known  edition.      It  stands  thus  in  the  original : 


^EE^ 


Heaven      and  earth    are      full     of      thy     glo    -    ry. 

and  should  probably  take  the  following  rhythm 


Merbeckes   Communion  Service        ^S^ 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  the  original  setting  the 
Santus  and  the  Benedictus  form  one  movement. 

The  Benedictus  has  met  with  similar  distortion ;  it 
should  be  taken  in  the  rhythm  demanded  by  the  words. 

The    Agnus    Dei 

is  also  in  the  Dorian  mode,  with  major  sixth  and  minor 
seventh.  Its  usual  harmonization  in  the  ^Eolian  mode 
greatly  changes  its  character.  It  should  be  sung  very 
quietly  and  smoothly,  and  is  best  taken  by  men's  voices 
and  trebles  alternately,  with  the  final  clause,  '  grant  us  thy 
peace,'  full.  In  the  original  there  is  again  the  mistaken 
emphasis  on  the  conjunction  : 


the  sins     of     the  world 

which  will  be  corrected. 

The    Paternoster 

This  is  in  the  Hypo-^Eolian  mode.  The  melody  set 
to  the  words  of  the  '  Our  Father '  as  found  in  Merbecke  ib 
only  part  of  a  longer  portion  of  the  Service ;  and,  taken 
from  its  context,  gives  a  tune  without  beginning  and  with- 
out end.  A  reference  to  the  original  shows  this.  The 
melody  commences  thus  : 


we    are  bold    to    say,  Our   Fa-ther  which   art    in  heaven 

out  of  which  all  the  rest  proceeds.     The  ending  is  thus 


-♦-♦ M •  ■        t •—   ♦ ♦ ^  — 

but    de-liv-er    us  from  evil  And  with  thy  spir-it. 

This  is  the  conclusion  of  the  inflected  part.  After  it 
the  service  proceeds  on  monotone,  therefore  the  end  j?:p-<ir 
should  be  retained.  The  Doxology,  although  used  to-day, 
does  not  find  a  place  in  the  First  Prayer  Book  at  this  point. 
It  has  to  be  added.  It  should,  of  course,  end  with  the 
propel*  cadence  of  the  mode,  so  following  the  original. 


152  The  Choirtrainers  Art 

The  Paternoster  is  best  sung  in  unison,  with  a  light  organ 
accompaniment.  It  should  be  taken,  not  slowly,  but  very 
softly  and  sustained,  like  a  monotone,  with  the  inflexions 
subdued  and  the  rhythm  perfectly  free. 

The    Gloria    in    Excelsis 

This  is  in  the  Phrygian  mode  ;  it  has  been  wrongly  har- 
monized as  if  it  were  in  a  modern  major  key.  The  stress 
of  the  following  may  be  noticed  : 

J8  _  = 

— i—  ■      ■       ■      --^^=- 

O     Lord  God,  heaven-ly  King 

where   the    chief  weight    should,  of  course,  be    given    to 
'  Lord ';  it  is  usually  given  to  *  O.' 
Again,  at 

j_i         ■=       ■       IjI !L       ■ ■ 

Thou  that    sittest  at      the    right  hand 

the  stress  should  be  on  *  right,'  not  '  hand.'  —  At 

j^ --= 


For    thou    on  -  ly  art      ho  -  ly 


it  should  be  on  '  thou,'  not  on  '  for.'      Next,  it  should  be 
on  '  only,' 

Thou   on-ly,    O  Christ, 

All  these  should  be  sung  in  the  legato  style,  with  steady, 
even  vowel-tone. 

As  in  the  original,  unison  singing  should  be  employed, 
but  unison  is  most  effective  when  it  is  pure  unison,  not  oc- 
taves ;  therefore,  when  possible,  the  phrases  may  be  taken 
alternately  by  men  and  boys  (or  women). 

At  the  end  of  every  phrase  there  should  be  a  slight  sug- 
gestion of  a  rallentando  and  diminuendo  ;  this  should  be  so 
little  as  to  be  hardly  perceptible. 


Further  Directions  ^SZ 

More  than  half  of  Merbecke's  Communion  Service  con- 
sists of  the  fifteen  Offertory  Sentences  and  the  sixteen  Post- 
Communions.  These  are  beautiful  specimens  of  plain-song, 
specially  written  for  the  English  Service,  and  may  well  be 
revived.  They  are  at  present  almost  unknown.  The 
former  will,  of  course,  be  sung  at  the  proper  place  in  the 
service  ;  the  latter  were  intended  to  be  sung  after  the  Com- 
munion, just  before  the  Paternoster.  They  are  short  set- 
tings of  passages  of  Scripture.  As  it  is  legal  to  use  a  hymn 
at  this  place,  a  fortiori  these  may  be  inserted ;  they  are  also 
suitable  for  use  at  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  service. 
They  may  be  taken  either  in  chorus  or  as  solos. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

FURTHER  DIRECTIONS 

Before  proceeding  with  service  music,  it  will  be  well  to 
pause  here  to  take  up  some  further  considerations  as  to 
training  and  management. 

Men  and  boys,  as  already  mentioned,  should  be  trained 
separately.  The  boys  should  practise  if  possible  every  day, 
for  about  an  hour.  It  is  well  not  to  exceed  this  limit, 
though  boys  in  good  training  can  continue  for  much  longer 
without  fatigue. 

The  men  should  practise  separately  once  a  week,  and 
also  in  conjunction  with  the  boys. 

All  technical  details  should  be  mastered  both  by  the  men 
and  by  the  boys  at  the  separate  practices  ;  at  the  united  or 
*  full '  practice  finishing  touches  should  be  applied.  Bal- 
ance, blend  and  unity  will  here  be  considered  ;  the  time  for 
learning  details  will  be  past. 

The  full  practice  should  be  conducted  without  accom- 

Ipaniment ;  by  this  plan  alone  can  the  highest  standard  be 

jattained.     If  there  is  difficulty  at  first  in  singing  unaccom- 

|panied,,a  small   pianoforte  may  be  placed  in  the  centre  of 


154  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

I  the  chancel  and  touched  occasionally  by  the  choirmaster,  to 
give  the  pitch,  but  on  no  account  should  the  organ  be  used 
for  a  full  practice.     The  only  result  of  its  use  will  be  to  ob- 
scure defects,  teach  the  choir  to  lean  upon  its  support,  and 
Lhinder  the  choirmaster  in  his  duties. 

j^     No  choir  should  be  considered  efficient,  or  regarded  as 
•  knowing  its  work,  until  it  can  sing  every  note  of  the  service 
music  without  accompaniment.     The  difference  between  a 
choir  that  has  practised  in  this  way  and  one  accustomed  to 
relying  upon  constant  accompaniment  is  marked  and  un- 
mistakable, and  it  is  astonishing  to  find  out  how  often  the 
wrong  method  is  followed  in  cases  where  the  other  could 
;  easily  be  introduced.      Many  choirmasters  are  deterred  from 
^  trying  the  unaccompanied  plan  by  fear    of  its    difficulty. 
The  difficulties  are  only  at  the  outset,  when  establishing  the 
custom  ;  they  will  quickly  disappear.     For  twelve  years  the 
writer  conducted  the  rehearsals  of  the  late  choir  of  South- 
wark  Cathedral  with  no  support  beyond  a  tuning-fork ;  he 
can,  therefore,  speak  from  personal    experience.     At    the 
commencement  this  choir  was  formed  from  material  in  no 
way  superior  to  what  may  be  obtained  anywhere  ;  it  was  the 
junaccompanied  practice  that  gave  them  their  efficiency. 

We  have  considered  fully  the  early  training  of  junior 
boys  ;  now  is  the  time  to  go  further  and  lay  down  plans  for 
developing  the  same. 

Order,  method,  precision,  should  everywhere  prevail. 
Every  moment  of  the  time  should  be  used  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage. Here  is  a  plan  for  the  conduct  of  a  practice  with 
senior  boys  : 

1.  Exercises. 

2.  Hymns. 

3.  Exercises. 

4.  Psalms. 

5.  Exercises. 

6.  Service. 

7.  Exercises. 

8.  Anthem. 

9.  Exercises. 
Etc.,  etc. 


Further  Directions  '55 

Commence  with  exercises,  then  give  out  the  next  item, 
whatever  it  is  ;  immediately  start  another  exercise,  mention- 
ing the  number ;  have  no  pause,  but  let  the  singing  be  con- 
tinuous from  beginning  to  end.     When  giving  a  direction 

.';  or  correcting  a  mistake,  use  the  fewest  and  clearest  words 

£*  possible. 

For  singing  measured  music  it  is  very  essential  that  the 
boys  should  learn  to  beat  time.      It  will  take  a  little  trouble 
to  teach  them  at  first,  but,  once  the  habit  is  acquired,  it  will 
be  of  the  greatest  assistance  in  facilitating  progress,  learning 
new  music,  and  securing  accuracy.     The  best  plan    is    to 
teach  the  three  simple  varieties  of  time  beating,  viz. 
Duple  (down,  up)  {a). 
Triple  (down,  left,  up)   {b). 
Quadruple  (down,  left,  right,  up)   {c). 
For  compound  time,  two  of  these  may  be  combined.     Al- 
though this  is  not  strictly  accurate  from  the    conductor's 
standpoint,  it  answers  the  purpose  here  perfectly  well,  and 
will  save  much  time  and  trouble.      For  compound  triple 
the  plan  will  be  : 

Down,  left,  up,  down,  left,  up   {d'). 
explaining  that  the  first  accent  will  be  slightly  more  pro- 
nounced than  the  second. 

For  compound  quadruple  it  will  be  : 

Down,  left,  right,  up,  down,  left,  right,  up  (<?). 
This  latter  is  not  often  wanted,  but  is  occasionally  necessary 
for  very  slow  quadruple,  as  for  instance,  in  some  of  Han- 
del's choruses. 


^ 


it  4^  44  ^ 

d         b       c  d  e 

In  learning  new  music,  the  things  to  acquire  at  the  out- 
jset  are  the  time  and  the  pitch.  Sight-reading  consists  of 
ijthe  power  of  associating  the  appearance  with  the  sound,  and 


1 5^  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

it  is  gained  by  constant  attention  and  practice.  The  time- 
beating  will  help  greatly  ;  it  will  make  the  rhythm  at  once 
present  itself,  and  then  the  pitch  will  easily  follow. 

In  learning  a  new  piece,  the  best  plan  is  first  to  go  right 
through  it  at  its  proper  pace,  insisting  upon  time-beating. 
This  will  give  a  general  idea.  Do  not,  at  first,  trouble 
about  details  ;  there  will  be  plenty  of  time  for  them  later  on. 

[After  some  progress  has  been  made  in  this  way,  pick  out  the 
most  serious  mistakes  and  correct  them  with  minute  care; 
but  avoid  the  wearisome  repetition  of  a  whole  passage  when 
there  may  perhaps  be  only  one  wrong  note  in  it.  Reduce 
the  area  of  correction  to  its  narrowest  limits.  If  there  is 
one  note  only,  an  awkward  interval,  a  sharp  or  a  flat  mis- 
placed, sing  that  and  nothing  else,  and  then,  when  it  is  fa- 

fmiliar,  fit  it  in  to  its  surroundings. 
Two  things  to  make  sure  of  are 

a.  Beginnings,  and 

b.  Endings. 

Insist  that  every  voice  sing  every  lead.  When  there  is 
hesitation,  stop  and  try  the  weak  note  first,  quietly,  perhaps 
humming ;  then,  with  the  time-beating,  fit  it  on  to  its  exact 
moment  of  time. 

With  regard  to  endings,  before  securing  precision  in 
them  it  is  necessary  to  decide  the  exact  moment  at  which 
they  should  occur,  /.^.,  when  silence  is  to  commence.  This  is 
important.  How  many  otherwise  good  renderings  are 
spoilt  by  a  shabby  ending !  Endings  should  be  clear  cut 
and  prompt,  just  as  beginnings  are ;  but  they  cannot  be 
until  we  know  where  to  end. 

This  is  the  way.  Consider  the  length  of  the  written 
note  —  quarter,  half,  or  whole  note :  one  beat,  two  beats, 
three,  or  four ;  then  direct  that,  if  the  word  to  be  sung 
ends  with  a  vowel,  silence  commences  on  the  beat  following 
the  full  number  belonging  to  the  written  note  ;  for  instance  : 


(one,  two,  three,  four)  silence. 


Further  Directions  J  57 

If,  however,  the  word  ends  with  a  consonant,  that  con- 
sonant should  be  sounded,  not  on  the  last  beat  of  the  writ- 
ten note,  but  on  the  first  one  following ;  thus  : 


f 


meet    ------- 

(one,  two,  three,  four)  consonant 


f 


The  use  of  this  system  will  be  found  of  great  advantage, 
and  it  will  make  easy  an  otherwise  really  difficult  matter. 
It  will  probably  be  new  to  most  readers.  They  should 
think  it  over  and  experiment  with  it  until  quite  convinced 
of  its  utility  before  using  it.  It  is  clear  that  the  note 
should  be  held  the  written  length ;  it  is  clear  that  the  word 
must  be  sounded  distinctly  ;  it  is  clear  that  the  singers  must 
do  this  together.  The  given  note  represents  the  musical 
sound ;  the  consonant  is  not  music,  but  noise. 

If,  however,  it  should  be  thought  that  this  plan  allows 
more  time  than  is  correct,  ask  the  question,  What  alterna- 
tive is  there  ?  If  the  consonant  does  not  come  at  this  point, 
where  shall  it  come  ?  In  quick  time  the  question  might 
be  evaded  without  a  very  noticeable  result.  But  supposing 
the  pace  to  be  very  slow,  and  the  last  beat  of  the  note  to 
take  quite  a  long  time,  the  consonant  cannot  come  on  that 
beat,  as  in  that  case  there  would  be  a  marked  interval  of 
silence. 

But  if  it  is  to  come  somewhere  between  this  beat  and 
the  next,  then  no  two  singers  will  agree  as  to  where  exactly 
they  are  to  place  it,  and  the  result  will  be  confusion  and 
disorder.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  knot  is  usually  cut  in 
the  case  of  the  average  singer  by  omitting  the  consonant. 
But  no  reader  of  these  pages  will  allow  such  a  blunder  of 
mispronunciation.  Therefore,  as  no  reasonable  alternative 
presents  itself,  we  return  to  the  rule  given  first  and  obtain 
distinctness,  accuracy  and  precision. 


158 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


In  connection  with  endings  the  question  of  pauses  must 
be  considered.  These  are  one  of  the  most  tiresome  things 
the  choirmaster  has  to  deal  with.  He  must  insist  on  per- 
fect distinctness  of  the  consonants,  and  on  having  all  the 
voices  cease  at  the  same  moment ;  how  is  he  to  secure  this 
when  a  pause  is  placed  over  a  note,  with  no  means  of  dis- 
covering for  exactly  how  long  it  is  intended  to  extend  the 
sound?  When  a  conductor  is  using  his  baton  and  the 
singers  are  watching  him,  there  is,  of  course,  no  difficulty. 
But  when  there  is  no  conductor,  and  the  singers  have  to 
be  responsible  each  for  himself,  what  is  to  be  done?  The 
only  way  out  of  the  dilemma  is  for  the  choirmaster  to  go 
through  the  music  carefully  beforehand,  and  decide  for  how 
long  he  would  probably  keep  his  baton  poised  if  conduct- 
ing the  voices;  and  then  to  write  an  equivalent  number  of 
beats  over  the  note  in  question.  These  will  be  counted 
strictly  by  the  singers  as  if  there  were  no  pause  at  all,  and 
precision  and  unanimity  will  be  secured ;  e.g.^ 

Wesley 
4  beats     4  beats 


CHAPTER    IX 

ACCURACY  AND  EXPRESSION 

When  correct  beginnings  and  correct  endings  have 
been  secured,  a  good  advance  will  have  been  made  towards 
accuracy. 

The  signs  for  crescendo  and  diminuendo  are  frequently 
misunderstood.  Even  good  singers  will  make  a  strong 
increase  of  tone  directly  they  see  the  first,  and  the  opposite 
with  the  second ;  instead  of  a  true  crescendo  will  be  given  a 
forte;  instead  o^  diminuendo^  2i  piano.  It  is  helpful  to  give 
,  a  simple  rule  that  crescendo  should  be  translated  '  loud  later 
on,'  diminuendo^  *  soft  later  on.'  One  of  the  most  enchant- 
ing effects  of  choral  music  is  the  use  of  the  true  crescendo 
or  diminuendo.  The  imperceptible  increase  and  decrease 
of  tone,  so  cunningly  contrived  that  the  hearer  is  uncon- 
scious as  to  when  it  takes  place,  and  finds  that  the  music 
^has  become  louder  or  softer,  so  to  speak,  by  stealth  —  to 
Accomplish  this  is  one  of  the  masterstrokes  of  a  first-rate 
ichoir. 

For  the  early  stages,  to  acquire  this  art-device  it  is 
useful  to  divide  up  the  distance  between  the  soft  and  loud 
into  distinct  stages,  passing  gradually  through  assumed 
points  of /)/>, />,  mpy  ^f-,f-  Some  or  all  of  these  signs  may 
be  marked  in  the  music,  and  will  greatly  assist  in  riveting 
the  singer's  attention  on  what  he  is  aiming  at.     Illustration: 

(/)  ("«/)  „ ^      W        f 

all    gen  -  er  -  a  -  dons  shall    call      me,  call       me     bless     -     ed.    For    he 

The  interpretation  marks  added  to  the  above  are  enclosed 
in  brackets. 

The  same  principles  should    be  applied  to  rallentand,i 
and  accelerandi.      These  are  frequently  too  sudden  and  too 
pronounced.      When  the  composer  directs  that  the  music 
»  i59 


i6o 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


shall  become  gradually  slower,  he  does  not  mean  that  it  is 
to  be  suddenly  slower ;  nor  does  he,  of  necessity,  mean  that 
the  retarding  is  to  be  very  great.  The  rallentando  should 
be  introduced  on  the  same  plan  as  the  crescendo^  impercep- 
tibly, gradually  stealing  upon  the  ear,  not  obtruding  itself. 
It  is  useful  to  make  a  rule  that  the  slackening  or  quickening 
of  the  time  should  never  go  further  than  the  doubling  or 
halving  of  the  original  pace,  seldom  so  far.  Some  changes 
of  pace  should  be  very  slight.  The  caricatures  often  in- 
troduced by  choirs  are  enough  to  make  a  person  of  taste 
almost  wish  that  all  signs  of  change  of  pace  could  be  re- 
moved from  printed  music. 
Illustration  : 


poco  rail. 


NOBLK 

( 4  beats  ) 


TTlfTt- ^- 

(fUAiU —        .    ^ 

tr        =^ 

(_CLi 

tVV^F^ 

"ifg. 

A 

Wt^ \- 

^^-f= 

.a-^^n. — ^ 

(S> 

— <s> 

In  the  above  extract  very  little  slackening  should  take 
place  before  the  third  measure  ;  and  it  should  not  be  evi- 
dent until  the  fourth.  If  the  pause  were  marked  with  the 
figure  4  and  sung  to  exactly  four  beats,  the  composer's 
intentions  would  probably  be  carried  out. 

All  the  above  bears  upon  accuracy.  Following  this 
comes  expression.  What  exactly  is  expression?  First,  it 
includes  the  observance  of  the  composer's  indications  for 
the  interpretation;  but  there  is  something  more.  Accuracy 
gives  the  inanimate  body;  expression,  the  life  and  soul. 

This  is  a  difficult  and  elusive  subject  to  deal  with.  It 
is  easier  to  feel  than  to  describe.  The  difference  between 
true  expression  and  bare  accuracy  is  the  difference  between 
art  and  artificiality.  The  producer  of  the  first  is  an  artist, 
of  the  second,  an  artisan. 

The  performer  of  music  should  treat  each  of  his  notes 
with  the  loving  care  shown  by  a  great  poet  for  words,  and 


Accuracy  and  Expression  i6i 

by  a  great  architect  for  stones.  I  know  of  no  better  or 
more  suggestive  guide  to  the  acquiring  of  the  spirit  of 
expression  than  Ruskin's  chapter  on  *  The  Lamp  of  Life ' 
in  '  The  Seven  Lamps  of  Architecture,'  and  would  suggest 
its  careful  study  by  the  choirmaster.  "  I  said,"  he  writes, 
"  that  hand-work  might  always  be  known  from  machine- 
work  ;  observing,  however,  at  the  same  time,  that  it  was 
possible  for  men  to  turn  themselves  into  machines,  and  to 
reduce  their  labour  to  the  machine  level ;  but  so  long  as 
men  work  as  men,  putting  their  heart  into  what  they  do, 
and  doing  their  best,  there  will  be  that  in  the  handling 
which  will  be  above  all  price:  it  will  be  plainly  seen  that 
some  places  have  been  delighted  in  more  than  others  — 
that  there  have  been  a  pause,  and  a  care  about  them  ;  and 
then  there  will  come  careless  bits,  and  fast  bits  ;  and  here 
the  chisel  will  have  struck  hard,  and  there  lightly,  and  anon 
timidly  ;  and  if  the  man's  mind  as  well  as  his  heart  went 
with  his  work,  all  this  will  be  in  the  right  places,  and  each 
part  will  set  off  the  other;  and  the  effect  of  the  whole,  as 
compared  with  the  same  design  cut  by  a  machine  or  a  life- 
less hand,  will  be  like  that  of  poetry  well  read  and  deeply 
felt  to  that  of  the  same  verses  jangled  by  rote.  There  are 
many  to  whom  the  difference  is  imperceptible  ;  but  to  those 
who  love  poetry  it  is  everything  —  they  had  rather  not  hear 
it  at  all,  than  hear  it  ill  read  ;  and  to  those  who  love  Archi- 
tecture, the  life  and  accent  of  the  hand  are  everything. 
They  had  rather  not  have  ornament  at  all,  than  see  it  ill 
cut  —  deadly  cut,  that  is.  I  cannot  too  often  repeat,  it  is 
not  coarse  cutting,  it  is  not  blunt  cutting,  that  is  necessarily 
bad;  but  it  is  cold  cutting ^ — the  look  of  equal  trouble 
everywhere  —  the  smooth,  diffused  tranquility  of  heartless 
pains — the  regularity  of  a  plough  in  a  level  field." 

By  analogy  this  teaches  us  that  in  music  things  nomi- 
nally the  same  should  not  he  so  actuallv.  It  is  the  teach- 
ing of  Nature,  who  in  all  her  things  of  beauty  never  gives 
us  two  that  are  identical  in  every  respect.  Applying  this 
to  music,  a  group  of  notes  that  look  the  same  on  paper 
should  not,  in  performance,  be  actually  identical  in  length 


1 62  The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 

and  force ;  which  means  that,  having  acquired  formal  accu- 
racy by  practice,  we  must  finally  depart  from  it,  in  order  to 
obtain  life.  In  what  way,  and  to  what  extent,  shall  this  be 
done?  and  how  can  we  be  guided?  In  vocal  music  the 
answer  is  simple.  The  words  must  guide.  In  any  given 
sentence  the  words  are  never  all  equal  in  force  and  impor- 
tance. If  the  singer  feels  their  meaning  as  he  uses  them, 
he  will  instinctively  form  his  notes  accordingly ;  he  will 
dwell  here,  and  hasten  there ;  he  will  emphasize  this  note, 
and  pass  lightly  over  that  one ;  the  meaning  will  shine 
through,  and  the  illumination  will  be  that  of  the  Lamp 
of  Life. 


CHAPTER    X 

HYMNS 

From  some  points  of  view  the  metrical  hymn  is  the 
choirmaster's  great  opportunity.  Here  he  can  appeal  to 
the  multitude,  musical  and  unmusical.  The  hymn  is  the 
one  popular  part  of  the  service,  appreciated  by  all  and 
loved  by  all.  Singularly  enough,  with  the  one  exception 
of  the  Veni  Creator,  there  is  no  provision  in  the  present 
Prayer  Book  for  metrical  hymns,  though  before  the  Refor- 
mation the  Office  Hymn  was  an  important  part  of  regular 
worship.  The  hymn  has,  however,  by  the  weight  of  its 
own  merits,  forced  its  way  into  the  forefront  of  modern 
Church  worship,  and  there  it  holds  a  place  of  first  impor- 
tance and  exercises  a  unique  influence. 

Hymn-tunes  may  be  divided  into  four  classes  : 

I.  Plain-song. 

1.  Old  Chorales  (German  and  English). 

3.  The  modern  descendent  of  the  same. 

4.  The  modern  Developed  Tune. 


Hymns 


163 


I.    Plain-Song 

Strong  efforts  are  being  made  in  many  directions  to 
restore  the  old  plain-song  tunes  to  their  rightful  place. 
These  efforts  will  have  greater  results  as  the  proper  manner 
of  rendering  the  music  becomes  more  widely  known.  To 
gain  a  thorough  knowledge  of  their  correct  interpretation, 
the  reader  is  recommended  to  study  carefully  Helmore's 
valuable  "  Primer  of  Plainsong  "  (Novello  &  Co.).  This 
book  is  crammed  with  information  upon  choir  work  in  gen- 
eral, besides  that  bearing  upon  its  special  subject. 

Plain-song  tunes  are  frequently  rendered  by  inexpert 
choirs  in  far  too  heavy,  stiff,  and  laboured  a  manner.  The 
pace  is  generally  too  slow,  the  length  of  the  notes  is  seldom 
properly  adjusted  to  the  words,  the  accent,  when  applied, 
is  usually  too  forcible. 

In  the  following  well-known  and  beautiful  hymn 


# 


^: 


=F=t 


=i^ 


¥ 


Sing,    my  tongue,   the    glo  -  nous     bat 


tie,      Sing    the    last,    the     dread 


af  -  fray ;  O'er    the  cross,   the      vie  -  tor's     tro    -    phy,       Sound    the      high 

4- 


tri  -  um   -   phal    lay ;  How,  the    pains    of    death    en  -  dur  -    ing,    Earth's    re 


— g?    ^j 


deem  -  er        won      the    day. 

the  first  words  will  be  rendered  thus : 

*  Sing  '  —  dwell  upon  this. 

*  my  '  —  not  so  long. 

*  tongue  '  —  long,  with  less  accent  than  *  sing.' 

*  the  '  —  short. 

*  glorious'  —  first  syllable  very   full;    the  second  and 

third  as  one  —  r'ous.' 


1^4  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

*  battle  '  —  three  notes  to  a  short  vowel.     These  three 

are  sometimes  too  hurried;  give  a  pressure  upon 
each,  with  a  little  more  weight  to  the  first  than  to 
the  others.     The  last      j,  '^Z^Z^ 
note    is    unaccented.     Vm-^f^^^=^ 

bat     -    tie 

Here  the  accent  is  on  the  first  note,  though 
often  wrongly  placed  on  the  second. 

*  the  ' — very  light. 

*  last '  —  sustained. 


i 


t=^- 


shading  off  at  the  end  of  the  phrase. 


dread       af  -  fray, 

*  o'er  '  —  long  vowel. 

*  the  '  —  short. 

*  cross  '  —  the  important  word. 

*  victor's  '  —  sound  the  consonants  distinctly. 

J     „       as  before,  the  accent  on  the  first  note. 

tro      -     phy 


sound 


=pi:i:  These  notes  must  not  be  pushed  into  one 
another  —  a  common  fault. 


^ 


i=^      I-  The  first  syllable  heavy ;   press 

tri  -  urn^r^  phai   ky  "po^^    tjie    sccond ;     the    last 

word  with  good  vowel-tone. 


3E=3=  These  three  notes  will  all  have  their 


how   the  pains  charactcHstic  tone,  heavy  —  light 

very  heavy. 


=  The  second  syllable  requires  care;  it 
en  -  d^^ng~~        ^as  the  compound   vowel  i  +  oo  ; 
the  second  part  takes  the  tone. 

These  three  groups  as 
before,  very  smooth  ; 
the  first  note  slightly  stronger  then  the  second. 


Hymns  '65 


In  the  fifth  verse  these  three  words 


w. 


will  attract  special  tone.  •^  i^i    he    lies 

It  is  hoped  that  these  remarks  will  give  some  idea  as  to 
how  to  think  of,  and  how  to  direct,  plain-song  tunes.  As 
with  other  plain-song,  the  hymn-tunes  are  more  effective 
when  sung  alternately  by  upper  and  lower  voices  than  when 
sung  by  all  together  in  octaves.  Lightness  and  flexibility 
are  the  elements  that  give  charm  to  this  music ;  without 
them  it  sounds  dull  and  unattractive. 

1.    Old  Chorales 


» 


^s 


All     peo  -  pie    that    on    earth    do   dwell. 

The  rendering  of  hymns  of  this  kind  should  be  massive 
and  heavy,  as  distinguished  from  the  light  rendering  of 
plain-song. 

It  is  customary  to  make  a  pause  at  the  end  of  every 
line.  If  it  is  understood  that  this  is  to  be  the  exact  length 
of  two  beats,  unanimity  will  be  secured. 

The  phrasing  must  be  carefully  attended  to.  A  word 
as  to  this  will  be  helpful.  Vocal  phrasing  in  a  general  way 
corresponds  with  breath-taking,  but  the  two  are  not  iden- 
tical ;  all  breath-taking  introduces  phrasing,  but  all  phrasing 
does  not  necessitate  breath-taking.  Sometimes  a  phrase 
inconveniently  long  must,  if  possible,  be  taken  in  one 
breath  (as,  for  instance,  the  long  passage  to  'joy'  in  the 
final  chorus  of  Wesley's  "  Wilderness  "),  to  avoid  a  break 
in  the  sense.  At  other  places,  where  no  breath  is  required, 
a  break  in  the  continuity  must  be  made  in  order  to  bring 
out  the  sense.  This  is  the  case  when  a  word,  or  group  of 
words,  contains  a  distinct  and  separate  thought ;  e.g.^ 


and  again  : 


answer,*       He&. 


1 66  7/^^   Choirtrainer  s  Art 

or  this : 

:j= - 


the         length,*  breadth,*  depth,*     and       height  to  prove 

Places  like  these  are  unmistakable,  and  the  most  living 
results  are  produced  when  a  choir  is  so  intent  upon  the 
words  it  is  singing  that  it  makes  the  breaks  without  special 
directions.  With  beginners,  however,  it  is  well  to  place  a 
mark  in  the  books  against  very  important  cases. 

To  return  to  the  hymn  we  were  considering ;  —  in  the 
second  line  occurs 


f 


sing        to      the   Lord. 

The  musical  accent  falls  upon  the  second  note,  the  verbal 
upon  the  first.  The  direction  should  unhesitatingly  be 
given  to  hold  to  the  latter  at  the  expense  of  the  former. 
A  simple  working  direction  is  contained  in  the  formula  : 
Words  first;  music  second. 

'X.    Modern  Chorales 


jgjgg 


How  sweet     the     name     of  Je    -    sus  sounds. 

The  above  should  be  taken  at  a  moderate  pace,  neither 
slow  nor  quick.  Choice  of  pace  is  an  important  element 
in  hymn  singing,  and  is  little  understood  by  many  teachers. 
The  writer  has  known  of  a  case  where  the  rule  was  in  force 
that  every  hymn  used  as  a  '  processional '  should  be  sung  at 
a  certain  fixed  metronome  rate  !  This  was,  of  course,  as 
much  a  barbarism  as  to  say  that  all  anthems  were  to  be  sung 
at  the  same  pace.  Every  hymn  has  its  own  pace,  governed 
partly  by  the  date  and  style  of  the  music,  and  partly  by  the 
sense  and  emotion  of  the  words.  Speaking  generally,  old 
chorales  should  be  slow  and  stately  ;  penitential  and  mourn- 
ing hymns  should  be  slow  and  sustained.  Modern  devel- 
oped tunes  usually  demand  a  quicker  pace  ;  jubilant  words 
sometimes,  but  not  always,  suggest  the  same.  Instances  of 
jubilant  words  sung  slowly  are 


Hymns 


167 


ftt 


^ 


and 


O     come,    all        ye       faith  -    ful 


f 


^ 


Je   -    sus  Christ      is       risen      to    -    day. 

These  are  sometimes  taken  much  too  quickly. 
The  following  is  an  instance  of  the  contrary  : 


=^==1= 


^^^ 


ing 


Days    and  mo-ments  quick  -  ly       fly 

This  is  generally  taken  much  too  slowly. 

In  the  hymn  we  are  considering,  a  remarkable  case  for 
phrasing  occurs  in  the  fourth  verse,  and  it  should  be  ren- 
dered thus  : 

Jesus,  *  my  Shepherd,  *  Husband,  *  Friend,  * 

My  Prophet,  *  Priest  and  King,  * 
My  Lord,  *  my  Life,*  my  Way,  *  my  End, 

Accept  the  praise  I  bring. 

In  rendering  this  the  music  will  accommodate  itself  to 
the  words,  and  take  longer  to  sing  than  an  ordinary  verse. 

In  the  modern  long  metre  it  is  a  good  rule  to  make  the 
last  note  of  every  second  line  twice  as  long  as  written. 
There  must  be  some  kind  of  pause,  and  this  rule  will  en- 
able the  singers  to  gain  unanimity  ;  e.g.^ 

(  2  beats ) 

iil 


rrrfrrz}; 


^ 


(2  beau) 


4.    Developed  Tunes 


-^^^^ 


^::r7iJ 


Lead,  kind   -   ly  Light,      a-  mid   th'cn  -  cir  -  cling     gloom. 


1 68  The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 

Used  and  spoken  of  as  a  hymn-tune,  the  above  is  really 
written  in  the  style  of  an  anthem  or  part-song.  Its  ade- 
quate rendering  requires  balance  of  voices,  equal  attention 
to  every  part,  and  considerable  finish.  This  brings  in  the 
question  of  congregational  singing  —  an  important  matter 
for  the  choirmaster.  The  demand  to-day  is  for  more  and 
better  congregational  singing.  This  demand  is  a  right  one, 
and  should  be  met. 

But  hymns  of  this  sort  are  quite  unsuitable  for  a  con- 
gregation. The  ordinary  untrained  member  seldom  gets 
even  the  melody  correctly  ;  but  even  when  this  is  achieved, 
the  effect  is  spoilt,  since  the  doubling  of  the  upper  part  in 
octaves  means  the  obscuring  of  the  others,  and  so  the  mar- 
ring of  the  harmony.  A  hymn  of  this  kind  ought  to  be  sung 
by  the  choir  alone.  For  congregational  singing  we  need 
plain,  simple  melodies  that  are  complete  in  themselves 
without  vocal  harmony.  Of  course,  the  ideal  tunes  for  this 
purpose  are  the  old  plain-song  compositions,  but  we  need 
not  stop  at  them.  Harmony,  and  part-singing,  have  be- 
come a  fetish  to-day  ;  for  there  are  some  people  so  obsessed 
by  them  as  to  seem  unable  to  appreciate  the  fine  effect  of 
good  unison  singing. 

The  writer  would  make  the  following  suggestions  for 
the  consideration  of  choirmasters : 

I.  That  when  tunes  suitable  for  unison  singing 
are  employed,  they  should  be  so  sung. 

1.  That  when  this  is  done,  variety  may  be  ob- 
tained by  alternating  men's  voices  with  trebles. 

3.  That  in  the  case  of  a  long  hymn,  interesting 
and  beautiful  effects  could  be  obtained  by  arranging 
for  certain  verses  to  be  sung  in  unison  by  the  whole 
body  of  worshippers,  alternating  with  harmonized  verses 
by  the  choir. 

4.  That,  further,  certain  verses  might  even  be 
taken  as  solos  or  quartets.  This  device  has  been  re- 
garded as  a  useful  spiritual  agency;  witness  the  revival 
singing  of  Moody  and  Sankey,  in  which  it  was  so  largely 
employed.  It  is  also  used  in  many  churches  at  present 
when  singing  Litany  hymns;  —  why  not  in  other  cases? 


Hymns  169 

5.  That  when  a  striking  refrain  occurs  at  the  end 
of  every  verse,  this  might  be  taken  in  a  marked  way 
by  choir  and  congregation.  There  is  scope  for  grand 
effects  here. 

Three  points  remain,  in  connection  with  hymn  singing, 
of  vital  importance.  Our  hymn  singing  should  be  a 
reality;  to  make  it  so,  we  should  abolish  all  shams  and 
pretences.  The  ones  I  am  going  to  mention  seem  to  have 
taken  deep  root  in  many  directions.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  earnest  choirmasters  will  unite  their  efforts  to  dislodge 
them. 

a.  The  custom  of  *  playing  over '  the  tune  before  com- 
mencing to  sing;  this  concerns  the  organist  rather  than  the 
choir,  but  as  they  are  frequently  one  and  the  same  person 
I  may  here  bring  it  forward.  This  tiresome  and  unneces- 
sary device  has  no  authority,  and  is  meaningless,  superflu- 
ous and  irritating. 

To  retain  it  is  as  unreasonable  as  it  would  be  to  revive 
the  antiquated  custom  of  the  singers*  stopping  after  each 
line  of  the  hymn  while  the  clerk  read  out  the  following 
words.  It  implies  that  the  singers  do  not  know  the  music, 
and  that  they  are  expected  to  pick  it  up  by  ear  at  the  last 
moment.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  nine-tenths  of  the  tunes 
used  in  our  services  are  well  known  to  every  one,  so  that 
neither  the  people  nor  the  choir  need  this  belated  attempt 
at  instruction.  It  is  obviously  a  modern  innovation,  for, 
during  the  early  centuries  of  the  Christian  era  before 
organs  were  generally  employed,  it  could  not  have  been 
used ;  and  to-day  it  is  never  found  necessary  when  singing 
takes  place  in  a  building  possessing  no  instrument.  If  it 
be  contended  that  people  require  time  to  find  the  place  in 
their  books  —  which  is  not  obvious;  for  when  a  hymn 
board  is  exhibited  in  a  conspicuous  place  they  can  always 
be  ready  in  time  —  but  if  that  be  contended,  the  proper 
thing  would  be  to  play  a  suitable  introduction  on  the 
organ,  in  keeping  with  the  character  of  the  following  music. 
In  a  few  cases  in  our  hymn-books  such  introductions  arc 
already  provided;  they  ought  to  become  general. 


170  The  C hoir trainer  s  Art 


If  the  custom  of '  playing  over '  could  be  abolished,  an 
excrescence  would  be  removed  from  our  services,  and  there 
would  be  gain  in  promptness,  spontaneity  and  reality. 

b.  Another  mistake  is  the  adding  of  *  Amen  '  at  the 
end  of  hymns  where  it  is  obviously  out  of  place. 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  this  custom  has  gradually 
crept  in  during  the  last  fifty  years,  and  was  unknown  before 
then.  The  meaning  of  '  Amen  '  is  *  so  be  it,'  or  *  verily*; 
and  it  is  a  solemn  asseveration  used  with  ritual  significance 
at  certain  parts  of  the  service.  It  is  an  integral  part  of  the 
Gloria  Patri ;  it  is  used  as  the  answer  of  the  people  to  the 
prayer  said  by  the  priest.  To  employ  it  as  an  appendage 
to  hymns  where  it  can  have  no  possible  meaning  is  surely 
a  violation  of  the  Apostle's  injunction,  *  let  all  things  be 
done  decently  and  in  order.' 

A  glance  at  the  Prayer  Book  will  show  at  once  that  it 
is  a  necessary  adjunct  neither  to  a  hymn  of  praise  nor  to  a 
prayer;  e.g.^  the  word  occurs  neither  at  the  end  of  the  Te 
Deum,  the  greatest  of  all  hymns,  nor  at  the  end  of  the 
petitions  of  the  Litany,  nor  of  the  numberless  petitions  and 
ejaculations  throughout  the  Prayer  Book  in  which  priest 
and  people  join. 

Hymns  may  be  grouped  into  songs  of  praise,  prayers, 
pious  aspiration,  and  statements  of  fact.  In  the  first  two 
the  '  Amen  '  is  unnecessary ;  in  the  second  two  it  is  out  of 
place;  e.g.. 

Hark,  the  herald  angels  sing. 
Glory  to  the  new-born  King. 

This  is  an  exhortation  to  listen  to  the  angels'  song. 

With  the  saints  hereafter  we 
Hope  to  bear  the  palm. 

This  is  an  expression  of  a  hope. 

Singing  to  welcome  the  pilgrims  of  the  flight. 

This  is  a  poetical  statement. 

When  shall  I  be. 
My  God,  with  thee 
To  see  thy  face  ? 

This  is  a  question. 


Hymns  "7' 

But  the  list  might  be  extended  indefinitely.  It  is  clear 
that  if  we  insert  the  word  *  Amen  '  at  any  of  these  places, 
we  can  be  attaching  no  meaning  to  it,  and  shall  therefore 
be  violating  a  great  principle  of  worship. 

The  correct  use  is  to  retain  the  word  at  the  conclusion 
of  every  versified  *  Gloria ' ;  to  expunge  it  from  all  other 
places  in  the  hymn-book. 

In  this  connection  the  opinion  of  the  Dean  of  Christ 
Church,  Oxford  (Dr.  Strong),  is  of  value :  "  In  making 
the  Oxford  Hymn  Book,"  the  Dean  writes,  "  we  followed 
the  precedent  of  the  book  which  is  used  in  the  University 
Church.  There  are  no  Aniens  there,  and  they  are  never 
sung  at  the  end  of  hymns  at  the  University  Sermon.  I  can 
dimly  remember -the  use  of  them  coming  in,  but  I  could 
never  understand  the  reason  for  it.  We  have  given  up 
using  the  Amens  in  the  Cathedral,  and  nobody  seems  to 
mmd. 

c.  Another  strange  custom  is  seen  when  '  processional ' 
and  *  recessional  '  hymns  are  used.  This  is  not  the  place 
to  question  whether  hymns  used  for  marching  before  and 
after  the  service  are  suitable ;  it  may  be  that  they  mar  the 
unity  and  symmetry  of  the  worship.  But  what  the  choir- 
master should  give  his  attention  to  is  the  remarkable  habit 
of  making  the  hymn  fit  the  time  of  a  procession  either  by 
clipping  off  the  final  verse  or  verses,  or  by  repeating  the 
first  verse. 

It  is  assumed  that  when  we  use  hymns  we  regard  them 
as  things  of  beauty  and  things  with  meaning.  To  take  a 
good  hymn  and  cut  off  its  ending  is  almost  as  bad  as  to 
take  a  good  picture  and  cut  off  a  piece  of  it ;  or  forcibly  to 
interrupt  a  preacher  and  prevent  his  giving  his  peroration. 

A  good  hymn  is  a  work  of  art,  with  a  design  and  sym- 
metry of  its  own  ;  it  is  a  complete  organism  with  a  begin- 
ning and  an  end.  Sometimes  there  is  not  even  a  period 
between  the  verses.  There  are  cases,  however,  where  a 
hymn  may  be  shortened  if  necessary,  but  seldom  by  the 
omission  of  the  last  verse.  The  repetition  of  the  first  verse 
can   seldom  give  a  reasonable  meaning.     It  usually  forms 


'7^  The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 

the  introduction  to  the  whole.  Sometimes  it  is  a  refrain 
repeated  at  the  conclusion,  as  in  *  Praise  to  the  Holiest.' 
But  it  is  sufficient  to  state  the  case  :  no  further  argument 
is  needed. 

Should  there  be  need  for  extending  the  rendering  of  a 
hymn,  there  is  a  simple  way  of  doing  it:  Interludes  may 
be  played  between  the  verses.  This  is  an  old  custom  in 
hymn-singing,  dignified,  interesting  and  perfectly  suiting 
the  case. 


CHAPTER    XI 
ANTHEMS  AND  SERVICES 

It  only  remains  now  to  gather  together  the  threads  of 
our  various  rules,  principles,  methods  and  suggestions,  and 
to  apply  them  to  the  interpretation  of  developed  music. 
All  that  has  been  said  as  to  chanting  and  hymn  singing  will 
be  found  to  bear  upon  this  more  advanced  work  ;  no  further 
directions  will  be  needed. 

Anthems  and  Services  may  be  divided  into  five  classes : 

I.  Plain-song. 

1.  The  pure  Choral  Style. 

3.  The  old  English  Cathedral  Style. 

4.  The  Modern  Style. 

5.  Oratorios  and  Masses. 

We  may  sum  up  by  saying  that,  in  studying  all  these, 
we  must  consider : 

1.  The  general    character   of  the    music  and   the 
words. 

2.  Suitable  pace. 

3.  Phrasing,  in  accordance  with  the  words. 

4.  Leads  and  endings. 

5.  Pauses. 

6.  Crescendos  and  diminuendos. 


Anthems  and  Services  ^73 

7.  Rallentandos  and  accelerandos. 

8.  Vocal  tone. 

9.  Vowel  quality. 

10.  Distinctness  of  consonants. 

11.  True  expression. 

The  foundation  work  in  the  rendering  of  all  Church 
anthems  and  Services  should  be  sought  in  the  unaccom- 
panied singing  of  music  of  the  pure  Choral  style,  as  exem- 
plified by  Palestrina  and  Tallis.  Sir  Hubert  Parry  writes : 
*  It  was  the  necessity  of  regulating  the  amount  of  time 
which  should  be  allowed  to  particular  notes  when  singers 
sang  together,  which  brought  about  the  invention  of  the 
standard  of  relative  duration  of  notes,  and  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  semibreves,  minims  and  crotchets ;  and  also  the 
invention  'of  the  time  signatures,  which  do  not  necessarily 
imply  rhythm  but  supply  the  only  means  by  which  various 
performers  can  be  kept  together,  and  irregular  distribution 
of  long  and  short  notes  made  orderly  and  coherent.  It  is 
perfectly  easy  to  keep  instruments  or  voices  together  when 
the  music  is  regulated  by  a  dance  rhythm ;  but  in  pure 
choral  music,  such  as  was  cultivated  from  the  tenth  century 
till  the  sixteenth,  it  is  quite  another  matter,  for  the  parts 
were  so  far  from  moving  upon  any  principle  of  accent,  that 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  effects,  which  composers  sought 
after  most  keenly,  was  the  gliding  from  harmony  to  har- 
mony by  steps  which  were  so  hidden  that  the  mind  was 
willingly  deceived  into  thinking  that  they  melted  into  one 
another.  The  mystery  was  effected  by  making  some  of  the 
voices  which  sang  the  harmony  move  and  make  a  new  har- 
mony, while  the  others  held  the  notes  that  belonged  to  the 
previous  harmony  ;  so  that  the  continuity  of  the  sound  was 
maintained  though  the  chords  changed.'  ("  The  Art  of 
Music,"  p.,  83.) 

The  mystery  of  gliding  harmonies  is  a  thing  more  easily 
felt  than  described.  The  master  must  feel  its  spirit  before 
he  is  able  to  impart  it;  but  a  few  hints  may  be  helpful  in 
the  rei\dering  of  music  in  the  pure  choral  style. 


174  The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 

a.  The  phrases  should  always  end  with  a  slight  dim. 

e  rail. 
h.  The  time  should  be  free. 

c.  The  rendering  should  always  be  unaccompanied, 
for  two  reasons:  —  Because  the  dead  tone  of  an 
instrument  cannot  blend  perfectly  with  the  pure 
living  tone  of  the  voice,  and  because  the  charm  of 
this  style  of  music  lies  greatly  in  the  perfect  un- 
tempered  intervals,  which  can  be  secured  only  by 
the  voices  alone. 

d.  All  hard  accent  should  be  avoided;  a  pressure 
upon  emphatic  words  will  give  the  true  rhythm. 

e.  An  even  flow  throughout  should  be  maintained  — 
what  may  be  called  a  continuous  stream  of  sound. 

f.  Long  notes  may  always  receive  a  crescendo. 

g.  Tied  notes  must  be  magnified  into  a  little  more 
'     than  the  written  sign. 

h.  Points  of  imitation  should  be  marked  by  increase 
of  tone  in  individual  voices. 

/.  The  music  need  not  be  taken  throughout  by  all 
voices  together ;  some  parts  may  be  allotted  to 
semi-chorus  and  solo  voices.  No  directions  under 
this  head  are  ever  given  by  the  composers,  there- 
fore the  interpreter  is  left  free  to  use  his  own  taste. 

It  will  be  at  once  apparent  that  the  carrying  out  of  these 
directions  will  produce  a  result  completely  different  from 
that  usually  heard  in  the  singing  of  this  old  music.  Long 
experience  and  patient  study  will  be  necessary  before  true 
results  can  be  achieved.  It  may  be  stated,  however,  with- 
out fear  of  contradiction,  that  no  performance  of  any  church 
music,  even  the  most  modern,  can  reach  the  highest  plane, 
unless  it  has  behind  it  the  background  of  this  pure  vocal 
style  —  a  style  which  may  be  unhesitatingly  accepted  as  rep- 
resenting the  most  beautiful  thing  in  the  realm  of  musical 
art. 

We  conclude  by  giving  a  few  illustrations  from  various 
sources. 


Anthems  and  Services 


75 


1ST  Trbblb 
cresc. 


Palbstkina 


with         thy    stripes     our   souls     . 


are  heal 


stripes,  with        thy    stripes     our   souls 


heal 


ed. 


i^ 


f=^ 


J22 


im^ 


stripes,  with         thy    stripes    our    souls 


are    heal 


ed. 


be-V 


i_ 


stripes, 

— 1»  — 

strit)es, 


^^^I 


.1 


176 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


In  the  above  lovely  extract  the  marks  of  expression  are 
those  added  by  the  editor,  Miss  Gregory.  It  will  be 
noticed  how  much  must  depend  upon  the  perfect  intona- 
tion of  the  voices.  An  additional  beauty  would  be  obtained 
by  making  the  two  sustained  voices  in  the  third  measure 
gradually  die  away,  so  that  by  the  last  beat  the  new  phrase 
would  have  come  into  prominence.  The  new  start  in  the 
fifth  measure  should  have  a  little  more  tone  than  the  pre- 
ceding chord.  In  the  eighth  measure  diminuendo  would 
have  better  effect  than  crescendo;  to  render  it  properly  will 
require  perfection  of  voice-production.  A  slight  rallentando 
will  also  be  suitable  for  this  phrase,  with  quickened  time 
for  what  follows. 


Tallis 


It 


:rt 


^ 


Thou      that       tak    -    est       a  -    way        the        sins         of      the   world,        re    - 


feEE 


T--=X:- 


-^ 


1^^?^ 


i^ 


^ 


Thou      that       tak    -    est      a  -   way        the         sins        of       the  world,       re 


Thou      that       tak    -    est       a  -   way  the      sins        of      the   world,        re 


m^- 


:zt- 


-X- 


:£ 


^=t=^-: 


Thou      that       tak    -    est       a  -  way         the         sins        of      the    world,       re 


8^^ 


prayer.  Thou    that        sit    -   test       at       the    right 


.     .    prayer.  Thou     that      sit  -    test       at        the      right 


-izz 


"t=- 


X=^F- 


-H- 


^ 


prayer.  Thou    that       sit    -  test       at        the     right 


prayer.  Thou    that        sit    -  test       at        the     right 


Anthems  and  Services 


177 


hand      of      God      the        Fa  -  ther,  have  mer  -  cy     up 


hand      of      God      the        Fa  -  ther,  have   mer  -  cy     up   -     on  us. 

This  is  from  the  Service  in  the  Dorian  mode,  and  is  much 
simpler  in  style  than  the  last  extract.  The  even  legato  of 
the  voices  will  be  maintained  throughout.  The  dying 
effect  will  appear  in  the  fourth  and  ninth  measures.  Notice 
the  irregular  rhythm  in  the  fifth  and  sixth  measures. 
Here  there  will  be  considerable  hurrying  of  the  time  until 
the  word  '  mercy '  is  reached,  and  then  follows  the  *  fall ' 
of  the  voices. 

The  underlying  spirit  of  most  of  the  directions  given 
for  the  above  extracts  can  be  carried  into  the  rendering  of 
later  music ;  and  when  the  general  feeling  is  retained,  great 
will  be  the  gain  in  all  vocal  music. 

We  will  now  take  some  examples  by  later  composers. 


Goss 


Sav  -  iour 


world, 


Sav  -  iour 


*  Far  the  remainder  of  this  Service  see  Tallis'  Communion  Service,  edited 
by  A.  Madeley  Richardson.      (G.  Schirmer. ) 


178 


The  Choirtrainers  Art 


world,     who    by  thy   cross   and  pre  -  cious  blood    hast      re  -  deem    -    ed 
sf  sf 


world,     who    by   thy  cross    and  pre  -  cious  blood     hast     re  -  deem   -  ed 


I^^^S^ 


=(s=1= 


world,     who    by   thy  cross  and  pre  -  cious  blood     hast     re  -  deem  -  ed 
'f  .       .         .      '/ 


^ 


=(5=t= 


?^^ 


^ 


^- 


world,     who     by  thy  cross  and  pre  -  cious  blood      hast     re  -  deem  -  ed         us. 

Here  the  first  *0'  should  be  pressed  rather  than  ac- 
cented. All  should  be  in  perfect  legato^  especially  the 
repeated  notes  for  alto  and  bass  in  the  second  measure.  It 
is  sometimes  difficult  to  get  singers  to  understand  this. 
The  true  effect  might  be  indicated  by  writing  as  follows 
-g^==—       ^^  ,g      ;  there  should  be  no  more  disturb- 

I  Sav  I  iour  |  of  |  the  world  ancc  ot  the  tone  than  IS  necessary 
to  pronounce  the  consonants.  The  second  phrase  should 
have  a  little  more  volume  than  the  first ;  the  words  '  cross  ' 
and  '  blood '  again  should  be  dwelt  upon,  and  the  dotted 
note  extended,  in  accordance  with  our  rule. 


Wesley 


^^Bg 


Bless  -   ed      be       the      God 
P 


and       Fa 


ther      of        our 


Lord 


iff 


^ 


rj: 


r=r^ 


=3= 

and 


Bless  -    ed     be 
P 


the      God 


Fa     -    ther      of 


Lord 


^^S 


Bless  -   ed      be 


the      God 


and       Fa 


ther      of 


Lord 


ss 


B^' 


^ 


Bless    -  ed     be      the      God 


and       Fa 


ther      of       our 


Lord 


Anthems  and  Services 


179 


f 


S 


^^ 


^ 


Je 


sus       Christ, 


which, 


ac  -  cord  -  ing 


to 


^E^ 


^ 


his 


m 


sus  Christ, 


which. 


ac  -  cord  -  ing         to        his 


^- 


Je 


sus       Christ, 


which, 


ac  -  cord  -  ing 


to 


his 


, 

etc. 

(^EJI    .^L- 

H* — 

-ftffl _r? 

J-r- 

— ^ — 

~» — ♦^ 

• 

—^ : 

*^       bun 

-    dant 

mer     - 

cy, 

hath 

be  -  got  -  ten 

us 

a  -  gain. 

y\^        \ 

1 

ffh j- 

•J 

bun 

-    dant 

mer 

- 

cy, 

-#■  • 
hath 

be  - 

got  -  ten 

us 

a  - 

gain. 

#-f^— P-' 

^— 

-ja f^— 

— - — »— 1 • — 

— ♦ »-=- 

— »  • 

— f— 

-f* 

•^        bun 

-    dant 

mer 

cy, 

hath 

be  - 

got  -  ten 

us 

a   - 

f 

gain. 

etc. 

■  a 

^^h—]— 

— — -XZTz:. 

— i 1 

\ 

— U— ^ 

bun    -    dant      mer    -     cy, 


hath 


be  -  got  -  ten 


gam. 


This  passage,  which  appears  so  simple,  is  the  test  of  a 
good  choir.  I  have  actually  heard  it  accompanied  on  the 
organ,  because  the  choir,  considered  a  good  one,  could  not 
keep  the  pitch;  this,  of  course,  entirely  spoilt  the  splendid 
effect  intended  by  the  composer.  What  was  said  of  the 
Goss  extract  applies  to  this  throughout ;  the  repeated  notes 
should  be  regarded  as  indications  of  the  points  where  the 
consonants  occur,  the  vowel-tone  should  be  as  ^^'^zr^^^S^- 
even  and  continuous  as  possible.     This  figure 


Lord 


should  have  a  slight  pressure  upon  the  first  note,  while 
both  are  expanded  to  a  little  more  than  the  written  length. 
Treat  all  such  passages  in  a  similar  manner.  All  voices 
should  end  exactly  together  at  the  word  *  Christ,'  the  con- 
sonants founding  on  the  third  beat. 


i8o 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


These : 
weight;  'ac-' 
*  -ing '  light. 


—4—^  should  not  be  all  the  same  in 
ac-cord-ing  to     will  be  light,  *  -cord- '  heavy, 


mer  -  cy 


This  is  an  important  case.  Always  take 
every  such  word  legato^  with  the  accent  on  the 
first  syllable.  It  would  hardly  seem  necessary  to  mention 
such  an  obvious  fact,  were  it  not  that  a  different  rendering 
is  so  painfully  common,  even  with  good  choirs. 

This  :  S^  h  [J*  J  ^  requires  attention.  The  short 
note  is  the  ^^  be -got -ten  strong  one,  the  long  is  the  weak. 
It  should  be  taken  easily,  as  in  speaking.  Notice  the  infi- 
nite care  that  Wesley  takes  over  the  quantity  and  weight 
of  every  syllable.  Would  that  other  composers  had  the 
same  literary  instinct ! 


A  lUgretto 


But  the  word  of    the  Lord    en  -  dur  -  eth  for     ev  -  er. 


But  the  word    of    the  Lord    en  -  dur  -  eth  for    ev  -  er. 


But  the  word  of    the  Lord  en  -  dur  -  eth  for     ev  -  er. 
y^^   Allegretto  ff 


The  writer  has  heard  the  above  splendid  passage  spoilt 
by  the  filling  in  of  the  rest  with  a  chord  on  the  organ,  to 
assist  the  singers  in  getting  under  weigh.  This  should  on 
no  account  be  allowed.  The  effect  depends  upon  the  con- 
trast  between   instrumental    and   vocal    tone.     A    prompt 


Anth 


ems  an 


d  Se. 


rvtces 


I8I 


start  can  easily  be  secured  by  arranging  that  the  choir- 
master ( or  somebody  else )  shall  give  a  gentle  but  sharp 
stroke  with  a  baton  to  mark  the  silent  beat ;  the  singers, 
having  taken  a  full  breath,  can  then  enter  promptly  upon 
the  second.  The  whole  should  be  given  with  tremendous 
vigour;  then  the  effect  will  be  electrical.  This  is  another 
instance  of  Wesley's  power  of  perfectly  expressing  the  sense 
of  the  words,  by  attending  to  minute  details  of  verbal 
structure. 

At  ^ife^~jt=3«^^3E  the  last  syllable  must  not  be  emphatic. 


en  -  dur  -  eth 


This: 


^^jjZ^^^E^  will  be  rendered,  as  before,  legato^ 
'    ev  -  er         with  a  *  vanish  '  on  the  last  syllable. 


//»/ 


iHEfe^ 


-J^-^- 


=tC^ 


Martin 


Ho  -  liest,  breathe      ^n      eve  -  ning       bless    -   ing, 


Ho  -  liest,  breathe       an      eve   -  ning    bless 
PPP 


Ere      re 


Ho  -  liest,  breathe        an      eve    -  ning    bless 


Ere      re 


Ho  -  liest,  breathe      an      eve    -  ning    bless 


pose  ^ 


our        spir 


seal. 


l82 


The   Choirtrainer  s  Art 


This  is  a  beautiful  study  in  sustained  singing.  The  tone 
should  be  the  very  softest  it  is  possible  to  produce.  There 
will  be  a  very  slight  break  in  continuity  after  *  Holiest.' 
*  Breathe  '  will  be  only  slightly  opened  out  in  volume.  This 
=J^  J— }-^  last  syllable  is  unaccented ;  it  must  steal 
on  the  ear  very  quietly,  and  be  held  for 


f 


^ 


bless  -  ing 

the  exact  written   length,  the  consonant  being  accurately 
given  on  beat  two. 

Here  F^=i^=^=^  the  voices  should  cling  to  the  second 

«7    L 


syllable. 


and  a  breath  can  be  taken  after  it. 


re  -  pose 

The  last  three  measures  must  have  the  'linked  sweetness 
long  drawn  out.'  On  no  account  allow  any  hurrying. 
Let  the  tenors  bring  out  their  tune,  then  the  altos,  theirs. 
The  final  note,  though  marked  with  a  pause,  will  be  quite 
long  enough  if  held  for  exactly  the  written  time. 


Mozart 


pray  -   ing,      low 


This  wonderful  passage  from  Mozart's  greatest  inspira- 
tion will  be  rendered  with  the  most  loving  care.  The 
voices  will  linger  upon  each  note.  The  four  chords  in  the 
second  bar  will  increase  slightly  in  volume  as  they  pro- 
ceed, with,  as  usual,  a  perfect  legato.  The  soprano  here 
:^Z^i=^;,|^^==^Hl,^  will  dwell  upon  the  syncopated  note, 
IT  bel^d'T'^^  7ng~  increasing  it  towards  its  end.  The 
final  note  will  be  delicately  joined  to  the  preceding,  ending 
in  a  hush. 


Anthems  and  Services 


183 


t 


Allegro  ntoderato 


Hatdn 


:«= 


P 


Dis  -    tract    -    ed     with      care 


^^ 


and 


Dis  -    tract    -    ed      with      care 


and 


^ 


^ 


Dis  -    tract    -    ed      with      care 


and 


>        >= 


Allegro  ntoderato 


Dis   -  tract    -    ed     with      care 


and 


.r     i  A     ^'     Mj-^^^f^^M 


1 84 


The  Choirtrainers  Art 


^1  ^  rrT\  i  :£  J.  -i 


fort 


Where      it      doth  ne'er    a   -   bide. 


^ 


Ei3^ 


fort 

_l5 


fort 


Where      it      doth  ne'er  a   -   bide. 

-fl^i! ^-= ^-^ (^ 


Where      it      doth  ne'er  a   -  bide. 


M 


^     I         1     1     r 


The  fine  motet  of  which  this  forms  the  opening  ought 
to  be  known  to  every  efficient  choir.  The  usual  fault  to  be 
corrected  will  be  ^g^-T— 4=  which  ought  to  be 
this  rendering : 


an-guish 


Anthems  and  Services 


i8s 


In  the  following 


^  r    =  the  average  choir  is 


mad  -  ly    they  seek 

certain  to  give  insufficient  time  to  the  dotted  note,  and  too 
much  to  the  short  one.  This  rhythmic  effect  is  the  charac- 
teristic feature  of  the  whole  composition,  and  should  be 
insisted  upon. 

The  second  subject : 


ntezza  voce,  dolce 


if=E 


W 


For       us        no        rest       re    - 


For 


For       us        no        rest       re   - 


w 


For       us        no        rest       re    - 


r=|i 


tt- 


^ 


eth,     If    earth     our        love      re    -    tain 


eth,    And 


^-i^ g^^^ 


X         I 


us       no         rest      re   -    mam 


eth,       If      earth    our        love       re    -   tiin 


Ma 


eth,       And 


i86 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


heaven    we        cast        a    -    side,     .    . 


heaven  we        cast        a    -    side, 


and 


and 


^ 


is  in  complete  contrast  to  the  first,  and  will  give  another 
good  opportunity  for  the  study  of  the  legato  style.     The 


four  notes 
together. 


must   be    delicately  joined 


for     us      no    rest 


Anthems  and  Services 


187 


Thi 


^s  i:|mtjt 


requires  special  attention.     The  two 

re  -  main  -   eth 

sixteenth-notes  must  be  quite  distinct,  and  in  order  to  se- 
cure this  they  must  be  almost  separated. 

should  be  sung 


should  be  taken  E 


*/ 

*= 


Mendrlssohn 


^ 


And    dash      in 
/ 


piec 


princ  -  es    and       na    -    tions, 


=t==t= 


P 


1^ 


And    dash     in 
/ 


piec 


princ  -  es    and      na    -    tions, 


1 — r 


=f= 


^^ 


And    dash      in 


piec 


princ   -  es    and      na    -    tions, 


^^^ 


4= 


And    dash      in        piec    -     es 


princ  -  es     and      na 


tions, 


4^.  i    ^    , — i-- 

r^"^' 

Ff= 

F=^ — =3- 

etc. 

and  dash    in 

:          — t 
piec     - 

-^        1  iL- 

— ^ — p. — e — f-- 

— 1 1 y — ar- 
es   princ -es  and 

-H — ^ — ^— ^ 

na      -       tions, 

-7-^ ; — 

and  dash    in 

[_5-    -    I.  .• 
piec    - 

-W 0 — J — ^ 

es    princ -es  and 

bap     :-^  — 

na      -       tions, 

^T~T~ 

f*^ 

• 

"V — T — 1*^ — r~ 

^»   • » a 

and  dash     in 

piec    - 

— t — 

-A 1 U-t- 

es    princ -es  and 

>i       #       1*     1* 

na  -  tions,  princ 

_ » »_ 

-es    and 

etc. 

't^l,     * L_     '__! 

b__t^zd 

rt- 

-r  r  >-^ 

- 

and  dash    in       piec    -        -     es    princ -es  and    na  tions. 

Here  is  a  fine  instance  of  forcible  singing.  Perfect  pre- 
cision is  demanded,  distinctness  of  consonants,  and  unity  in 
ending.  The  long  tied  chord  in  bar  six  must  increase  in 
strength,  until  at  the  end  it  will  sound  irresistible ;  it  will 
also,  m  accordance  with  our  rule,  be  slightly  longer  than  is 
written. 


isa 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


ai 


-\ r 


will  have  its  second  syllable  less  forcible  than 


na  -  tions 


its  first ;  contrary  to  the  favorite  practice  of  choir  singers. 


Dvorak 


^^ 


m 


P 


Bless -ed    Je    -    su, 


Fount  of  mer  -  cy, 


^^ 


=$=t 


Bless  -  ed    Je 


Fount  of  mer  -  cy, 


^ — u — ^^ — t- 


^fetzzt 


Bless -ed    Je   -    su, 


Fount  of   mer  -   cy, 


1^— ^^ 


:^=:* 


:*: 


Bless  -  ed    Je    -    su, 


Fount    of    mer  -   cy. 


bless  -  ed 


We,       thy 


Here  choirs  will  try  to  evade  the  demands  of  the  dotted 
notes ;  they  will  also  want  to  emphasize  the  second  sylla- 
ble instead  of  the  first  in  *  Jesu  '  and  *  mercy.'  It  need  not 
be  again  pointed  out  that  for  the  two  notes  should  be  men- 
tally substituted  one,  of  twice  the  written  length,  divided 
only  for  the  sake  of  the  consonants.  The  basses  in  the 
fourth  measure  have  an  opportunity :  fc^^  m-^  \ r=^  r-^ci^^^ 

Je  -  su,  Fount    of  mer-cy, 

the  three  notes  to  *  Fount '  must  all  be  emphasized. 


Anthems  and  Services 


189 


Gounod 


Thro'      our      harps    that       we   hung        on        the        trees 


Thro'     our      harps    that      we     hung       on        the       trees 


Goes     the 


Goes    the 


^^EE^ 


=»: 


=lfc 


Thro'     our     harps     that      we  hj^ng        on        the       trees    .     .    Goes    the 


Bouche  fermie 


In  modern  music  the  device  of  bouche  fermee  is  becoming 
more  and  more  common.  When  properly  contrived,  the 
effect  is  beautiful ;  otherwise  it  is  rather  trying.  It  need 
not  give  nasal  tone,  though  it  so  often  does.     Most  singers 


190  The  C hoir trainer  s  Art 

will  shut  the  mouth  tightly,  getting  a  stiff  jaw  and  pro- 
ducing thin,  disagreeable  tone.  If  they  will  hold  the  jaw 
loosely  and  slightly  open  the  mouth,  sounding  a  suggestion 
of  an  indefinite  '  ii,'  the  result  will  be  a  dreamy,  velvety 
tone,  and  a  really  musical  effect. 


The  time  has  now  come  for  the  writer  to  lay  down  his 
pen,  and  he  does  so  with  reluctance.  He  took  it  up  in  the 
hope  that  he  might  be  able  to  give  the  reader  a  clear  vision 
of  the  possibilities  of  choir-training ;  he  lays  it  down  with 
the  feeling  that  words  can  do  but  little  to  teach  this  won- 
derful art.  No  description  can  come  near  the  reality  of 
perfect  singing ;  only  the  living  voice  can  show  of  what  the 
living  voice  is  capable.  Still  he  trusts  that,  pardoning  the 
many  shortcomings  of  this  imperfect  essay,  the  reader  may 
glean  something  from  its  pages  which  will  assist  him  in  his 
efforts  to  realize  the  possibiHties  lying  before  him,  and  will 
take  courage  to  go  forward  to  regain  some  of  the  ground 
lost  in  the  past,  and  to  conquer  fresh  fields  for  the  future. 

Choir  singing  is  one  of  Religion's  keenest  weapons. 
May  it  be  polished  ^nd  sharpened  to  fight  and  subdue  the 
powers  of  evil,  and  to  bring  captive  nations  and  peoples. 


Exercises 


191 


EXERCISES 

AS    GIVEN    IN    PART    II 


I         I         I         I         I        -r-w-:=:n=^-l        1         I         I         I      =11= 


Pianoforte 


:«»=«: 


00    Ah    00     Ah    00    Ah    OO. 


Ah  (etc.) 


#--;i^"^ 


""fcg- 


3^^E^:^ 


^;:::5: 


-»=^ 


E^EEi£ 


=«=?= 


m 


M Ah. 


M Ah.     etc. 


?r=:^ 


S.^iSP5 


«:a:: 


■WJ 


M 


-Ah. 


-Ah. 


J  =-  I  etc. 


f=^ 


192 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


Ah 


-j — A- 


3=^ 


.1     I- 


^ 


=s^ 


-=^ — ^  ^  -^ 


i=^z=^^=E 


r=^^r- 


r 


f 


^^^:^ 


"fg     (g- 


■^ — o- 


Ah- 


-^ lS>- 


":S ^- 


^^S=Jz^ 


g 


^^^ 


^s 


ni:3- 


o> 

(lips) 
Ah— 


-^     o> 


Ah 


sS 


f 


:j: ;1 : 


^ 


A 


M 


fe:*£^,EEEtE 


aibs:^ 


=F^ 


Exercises 


^93 


Transpose  to  Bfr,  Bfl,  and  C. 


11 


ffi — n—^n*^ — ^ — ^ — pav^ — ^ — ^>^>m^a« d 

KH 1 " 1 1—\ 1 I     — 1 < 1- — I 1 1 1 1 1    — i — — 1 1 —• — —I 1 1 I 

»-K 1— ^ 1— ^ 1 — y — ^ 1 — ^ — 1— ^ 1 — ^ — ^ 1— ^ J— J— ( — w — ^ .  1 

A  h 


^^ 


^^-^^Z^iZi^ 


^^~TZ 


1 


^        3. 


I 


=i= 


SL^ 


194 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


14 


=»=?= 


:3=t 


l^g— tt 


S 


^ 


Ah- 


Ah- 


i 


=j — 1 — -- 


I  I 


I  I 


I         I 


fe 


,^     '=^   Lite 


'g'      a::/ 


t>&gjp: 


I 

I 

E5^ 


J- 


■be*    ^^     a 


I  etc.,  to  D 


"fer 


E, 


xerctses 


195 


18 

^ 1  J  '-^ — ' — r ' — 

—  —  — _- p — -T- .,-  4  ~  -Wn-J t-j- f-^^- 

^  ^  ^                 ^    ^• 

Ah 

^  .^.              ^-S-             -^ 

-s"^  •       b«=>             -     bS^             ■'"bsr-.--         ^ 

~ —  ^e 


etc.,  to  C 


-   r 


'be 


^-r*s7J-iF^^ 


t7e    t  t  +-     :r  j?e 


b^- 


^^e     -  '  -h^ 


3« 


196 


The  Choirtrainer  s  Art 


21 


M  •  >|      I       I   I 


'T? 


b* 


bitt 


^=*# 


:=fl? 


22 


3^ 


23 


THE   SEVEN  LONG  VOWELS 
00.     O.     Ah.     Er.     A.     E. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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'^Z 


Form  L9-39, 050-8, '65  (r6234s8)4939 


REC'D  m^-ug 
U^  1  1970 
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^^■^"  ?. '   19/0 
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JtL  1 6 1976 

D  MUS-lW 

y        9  tS7p 

MAY  2  4  1979 


D^^ 


im 


'f 


Q 


OCT,  1^  1981 

HB"^  f  1982 
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